Tätypes

Tätypes is a term used in Estonian linguistics to refer to a specific phenomenon in language acquisition. It describes the situation where a child, while learning a new grammatical form, overgeneralizes its application to contexts where it is not strictly correct according to the standard language. This is a common stage in the development of grammatical competence across many languages, not just Estonian. For example, a child might learn the past tense suffix "-nud" and then incorrectly apply it to verbs that have irregular past tense forms, such as saying "tulenud" (came-past participle) instead of "tulnud" (came).

This process of tätypes demonstrates that children are not simply memorizing linguistic rules but are actively constructing and testing hypotheses about how their language works. They identify patterns and try to apply them consistently. When these patterns do not perfectly align with the complexities and exceptions of the adult language, tätypes errors emerge. These errors are considered a natural and often temporary part of language learning, indicating progress rather than a deficit. As children receive more linguistic input and feedback, they gradually refine their understanding of grammatical rules and reduce the instances of tätypes. Linguists study tätypes to gain insights into the cognitive processes underlying language acquisition and the development of grammatical knowledge.