“Language is the dress of thought.”
~Samuel Johnson
Max has never been willing to miss out on the swirling world that fills his eyes. This was never more evident than when he was a two year old toddler, teetering at the lip of fully developed speech. His sister, two years his senior and never without a mouthful of verbiage, would spit sentences with supersonic speed as Max just sat for seconds at at time, eyes wide and mouth open, like a sixteen year old gathering the courage to merge onto the freeway.
And thus, “bahma” was born. The language of children is fascinating.
Anyone my age, give or take a calendar or two, surely remembers the Smurfs. Probably with affection. Though it was fun to watch those little azure mushroom dwellers constantly dodging the danger of Gargamel, it was far more interesting (for me at least) to see the games they played with language.
The word “smurf” – never before had I seen a single syllable twisted in so many directions. Noun, verb, adjective; homophone, synonym, onomatopoeia. The Smurfs was a show that had a horde of tiny blue men in white pants (alongside one lonely blond created by their arch nemesis) who lived inside magic mushrooms and spent their days gathering smurf berries. Oh, and if you caught seven of them (if memory serves) you could boil them into a bubbling pot of gold.
Weird, sure, but not nearly as cool as the fact that on the Smurfs, this was perfectly acceptable: “Hey Smurfette, would you be a smurf, and fetch me a smurf so I can smurf. I’m feeling smurfed and If I get a smurf, I might be able to smurf a little smurf.” To add a multiple on top of the crazy, the second smurf would casually answer with, “smurf thing, I’ll smurf the smurf in a smurf.”
WHAT?!?
Two and a half decades later, I’m still trying to decide if those writers were the laziest batch of thinkers to ever fritter 22 minutes or whether they held genius unparalleled. My sister and I used to whittle minutes trying to convince one another we had the language totally figured out.
Max would have loved the Smurfs. He used bahma in exactly the same way. This was in the days just before our preschool got started. Daisy and I were tutoring a large passel of fifth graders in our house after school each day, plus he lived in a house with both Mia and myself (both of us who know quiet only as concept), but there was nothing that was going to slow this kid down.
Max was determined, and viewed the constant rattle of language as an open invitation. We had thousands of cards in our deck and Max but a scant few hundred, yet amazingly, our boy treated this handicap as only a hiccup.
“Daddy,” he would ask as a smile made an oval of his round face, “Why is that bahma always sitting next to the bahma?” Max was able to measure tone against environment to eliminate any question of intention, allowing me to answer without so much as a skipped beat.
“Because Daddy forgot to throw it away,” I would have to admit.
Bahma became a catch-all word, even capable of modifying others. I’ll never forget the day we sat outside as Max gazed into the sky at the whirring blades of a news chopper. “HELLA-DA-BOMBA” he breathed, pointing in wonder.
Leaves fell, bahmas receded, and by Christmas dinner they had been all but abandoned to memory. Still, rarely does a week pass without my mind wandering back to bahma, causing a smile to lengthen my own face.
Bahma!, I think with a mind suddenly thick with melancholic laughter.
Writer Dad
Special thanks to David Wright whose post yesterday about the language of his toddler was all the prompt I needed today.
About Sean Platt
“Two and a half decades later, I’m still trying to decide if those writers were the laziest batch of thinkers to ever fritter 22 minutes or whether they held genius unparalleled.”
GENIUS UNPARALLELED. The awesome-ity of which cannot be contained by mere words…or all caps lock.
“Two and a half decades later, I’m still trying to decide if those writers were the laziest batch of thinkers to ever fritter 22 minutes or whether they held genius unparalleled.”
GENIUS UNPARALLELED. The awesome-ity of which cannot be contained by mere words…or all caps lock.
I remember the Smurfs! I even had a few of the toy smurfs show up at my dad’s house not too long ago. I tried explaining who they were to Monkey, but she didn’t quite get it. I’m loving these posts about Max. Thanks for opening up and sharing them.
I remember the Smurfs! I even had a few of the toy smurfs show up at my dad’s house not too long ago. I tried explaining who they were to Monkey, but she didn’t quite get it. I’m loving these posts about Max. Thanks for opening up and sharing them.
Hayden: Did you know they were going to make this big epic CG trilogy about the Smurfs? They had a script, production art, and everything. Sounded like a full pot of cool beans. Then, unfortunately, Alvin and the Chipmunks came out and was uber successful. Not only did a little part of me die along with some of my respect for Jason Lee, but so did the Smurfs project. Now it’s going to be a single movie with real people and CG Smurfs. New Idea = Crap.
Kool Aid: Oh, it’s totally my pleasure. Wait until tomorrow. It’s a lotta lotta fun. I’m throwing the gauntlet down, yo. It’s time for Kool Aid to bust out with Monkey.
Thank you so much for this!!! It touched me in deep places…
My niece, Dione, who I raised from 7 years old on…said ‘helpcopter’ for everything that flew when she was about 2. It was so cool…she’s now 27 and a nurse that is training to be a air for life specialist…a true help-copter. Hmmmm.
My paramour, Andy has 3 young sons. When the middle one, Joey was about 4, very precocious, he would say ‘axlly, Beth….’ and then go on to explain why my opinion or judgment was probably wrong-headed. I would invent opinions to get him to say ‘axlly’.
Lovely–can’t wait for tomorrow’s post…
Hayden: Did you know they were going to make this big epic CG trilogy about the Smurfs? They had a script, production art, and everything. Sounded like a full pot of cool beans. Then, unfortunately, Alvin and the Chipmunks came out and was uber successful. Not only did a little part of me die along with some of my respect for Jason Lee, but so did the Smurfs project. Now it’s going to be a single movie with real people and CG Smurfs. New Idea = Crap.
Kool Aid: Oh, it’s totally my pleasure. Wait until tomorrow. It’s a lotta lotta fun. I’m throwing the gauntlet down, yo. It’s time for Kool Aid to bust out with Monkey.
Thank you so much for this!!! It touched me in deep places…
My niece, Dione, who I raised from 7 years old on…said ‘helpcopter’ for everything that flew when she was about 2. It was so cool…she’s now 27 and a nurse that is training to be a air for life specialist…a true help-copter. Hmmmm.
My paramour, Andy has 3 young sons. When the middle one, Joey was about 4, very precocious, he would say ‘axlly, Beth….’ and then go on to explain why my opinion or judgment was probably wrong-headed. I would invent opinions to get him to say ‘axlly’.
Lovely–can’t wait for tomorrow’s post…
A bahma post, Sean! (By the way, am I the only one who kept thinking about American presidents as I was reading this post?)
Our daughter couldn’t say ‘utility room’ when she was wee, so she always called it the tilly room. Over a decade later, we still do! Much nicer word. There’s a lot we writers and bloggers can learn about kids’ linguistic creativity and their strong desire to connect and be understood. Nothing wrong with loving language so much that it makes you playful and inventive!
Surrounded as I am now by a weird teenage language of whines, grunts and scary girly giggliness, it’s heartachingly sweet to remember those days when my husband and I translated our toddlers’ poetry so effortlessly with our hearts. Thanks, to you and the blogger whose post inspired you.
By the way, glad you’re keeping up today’s language theme, what with grammar in your guest post over at WelshScribe and another language conversation going on over at Blogopolis Blueprint! ~Janice
A bahma post, Sean! (By the way, am I the only one who kept thinking about American presidents as I was reading this post?)
Our daughter couldn’t say ‘utility room’ when she was wee, so she always called it the tilly room. Over a decade later, we still do! Much nicer word. There’s a lot we writers and bloggers can learn about kids’ linguistic creativity and their strong desire to connect and be understood. Nothing wrong with loving language so much that it makes you playful and inventive!
Surrounded as I am now by a weird teenage language of whines, grunts and scary girly giggliness, it’s heartachingly sweet to remember those days when my husband and I translated our toddlers’ poetry so effortlessly with our hearts. Thanks, to you and the blogger whose post inspired you.
By the way, glad you’re keeping up today’s language theme, what with grammar in your guest post over at WelshScribe and another language conversation going on over at Blogopolis Blueprint! ~Janice
Smurfy good post! The process of learning language is amazing, and yet communication is so much more than words strung together.
Say, can you whistle the Smurf song?
Smurfy good post! The process of learning language is amazing, and yet communication is so much more than words strung together.
Say, can you whistle the Smurf song?
This post reminded me of the time I heard Bitchy and Sassy giggling away in the dining room. Bitchy was about 5, and Sassy was 3. When I finally peeked around the corner to see what all the laughter was about, I saw with astonished HORROR that Bitchy had colored Sassy BLUE. With a PERMANENT BLUE MARKER. She looked like a Smurf for about a month.
A bahma Smurf.
This post reminded me of the time I heard Bitchy and Sassy giggling away in the dining room. Bitchy was about 5, and Sassy was 3. When I finally peeked around the corner to see what all the laughter was about, I saw with astonished HORROR that Bitchy had colored Sassy BLUE. With a PERMANENT BLUE MARKER. She looked like a Smurf for about a month.
A bahma Smurf.
Beth: My pleasure! Wow, that’s cool. Your daughter really did grow up to be a helpcopter. Ha, too awesome. Tomorrow’s post is already locked, loaded, and scheduled. It’s axlly pretty cool.
Janice: Well I never thought it at the time because he was not yet on the American radar, but I did think about it as I wrote the post yesterday as that is EXACTLY how the word is pronounced. Check out Dave, Blogger Dad. He’s awesome. He is my writing partner and has inspired a lot more than just this single post.
Lori: Dudette, I laughed out loud at “Smurfy good post!” Too funny. I’m going to have to head off to youtube to catch the song because sadly (shaking my head in shame) I’m totally stumped and cannot remember.
VodkaMom: For a MONTH?!? OY VE! A bahma smurf indeed. How much trouble was bitchy in for that? Did you smurf the living smurf out of her or what?
Beth: My pleasure! Wow, that’s cool. Your daughter really did grow up to be a helpcopter. Ha, too awesome. Tomorrow’s post is already locked, loaded, and scheduled. It’s axlly pretty cool.
Janice: Well I never thought it at the time because he was not yet on the American radar, but I did think about it as I wrote the post yesterday as that is EXACTLY how the word is pronounced. Check out Dave, Blogger Dad. He’s awesome. He is my writing partner and has inspired a lot more than just this single post.
Lori: Dudette, I laughed out loud at “Smurfy good post!” Too funny. I’m going to have to head off to youtube to catch the song because sadly (shaking my head in shame) I’m totally stumped and cannot remember.
VodkaMom: For a MONTH?!? OY VE! A bahma smurf indeed. How much trouble was bitchy in for that? Did you smurf the living smurf out of her or what?
Oh, I’m liking the last few posts about your son!
Yes, I remember the smurfs very fondly and we all talked about the craziness that was smurfette amongst all the others. I do believe the writers were just a tad.. nutty.. in using the smurf language, and yet, we will all do our crazed homage to it by saying those phrases…
Daisy
Oh, I’m liking the last few posts about your son!
Yes, I remember the smurfs very fondly and we all talked about the craziness that was smurfette amongst all the others. I do believe the writers were just a tad.. nutty.. in using the smurf language, and yet, we will all do our crazed homage to it by saying those phrases…
Daisy
I am so glad you are back!!!! Bahma and Bunny! While I love all things smurfy, nothing like these words you so adeptly share with us. I feel your excitement …
I am so glad you are back!!!! Bahma and Bunny! While I love all things smurfy, nothing like these words you so adeptly share with us. I feel your excitement …
Daisy: I admit, I’m enjoying them quite a bit myself. Last night at dinner, Max’s favorite part of his day was his “guest post on Writer Dad.” It’s already canned and scheduled for midnight. The little guy had soooo much fun doing it. Now he wants to do another one.
Trina: Thanks, Trina! It is good to be back. I think I need to be more unafraid to step away. I feel like my week off infused me with renewed vigor.
Daisy: I admit, I’m enjoying them quite a bit myself. Last night at dinner, Max’s favorite part of his day was his “guest post on Writer Dad.” It’s already canned and scheduled for midnight. The little guy had soooo much fun doing it. Now he wants to do another one.
Trina: Thanks, Trina! It is good to be back. I think I need to be more unafraid to step away. I feel like my week off infused me with renewed vigor.
Aww, I can’t wait for his guest post!
I didn’t see Alvin – and I’m definitely not going to see the Smurf movie…TMNT is a movie that I’ve been eying for quite some time. I might go there – I’ve heard they make a few sly and awesome references to the show.
Aww, I can’t wait for his guest post!
I didn’t see Alvin – and I’m definitely not going to see the Smurf movie…TMNT is a movie that I’ve been eying for quite some time. I might go there – I’ve heard they make a few sly and awesome references to the show.
Matthew: It’s in the can and it makes me totally laugh. Cindy too. I don’t know if I’ve ever been more excited to drop a post. I’m actually smiling as a type this, it’s totally ridiculous.
Alvin looked like crap on a reel and I totally loved the show when I was a kid. ALVIN!!!! I won’t see the Smurfs movie either, but I will totally see it if they fly with the original idea. I’ve been looking at the TMNT movie too. Problem is it’s too sophisticated for the kids so far and I don’t want to see it more than the stuff with a bit more blood, guts, and profanity I prefer to see once the kids are snoring.
BTW, I just saw your comment at the Blueprint. Hysterical.
Matthew: It’s in the can and it makes me totally laugh. Cindy too. I don’t know if I’ve ever been more excited to drop a post. I’m actually smiling as a type this, it’s totally ridiculous.
Alvin looked like crap on a reel and I totally loved the show when I was a kid. ALVIN!!!! I won’t see the Smurfs movie either, but I will totally see it if they fly with the original idea. I’ve been looking at the TMNT movie too. Problem is it’s too sophisticated for the kids so far and I don’t want to see it more than the stuff with a bit more blood, guts, and profanity I prefer to see once the kids are snoring.
BTW, I just saw your comment at the Blueprint. Hysterical.
First we had Steve Irwin and Bindi. Now we have Writer Dad and Max! Does life get any cuter than this?
Anxiously awaiting his guest post…
First we had Steve Irwin and Bindi. Now we have Writer Dad and Max! Does life get any cuter than this?
Anxiously awaiting his guest post…
Hi Sean: That’s funny that Max came up with a catch-all word. Although maybe it was meant to express an emotion instead of refer to a particular object :-) Oh, and I love the smurfs.
Hi Sean: That’s funny that Max came up with a catch-all word. Although maybe it was meant to express an emotion instead of refer to a particular object :-) Oh, and I love the smurfs.
What a great experience for your son! He is so lucky to have a model and a hero like you! I can not wait to try something like this! My daughter- 11 spend about 10 minutes with me on Twitter, but this takes it to another level! I love it!!
What a great experience for your son! He is so lucky to have a model and a hero like you! I can not wait to try something like this! My daughter- 11 spend about 10 minutes with me on Twitter, but this takes it to another level! I love it!!
Randi: Maybe. I guess we’ll have to wait for Writer Dad and Mia to find out. : > )
Marelisa: I think it was both – emotion and fill in the blank. At least that’s how he used it.
Angela: He LOVED the experience. He’s been asking to do it again all week. This afternoon we’re going to answer comments. I can’t wait. It will be so much fun!
Randi: Maybe. I guess we’ll have to wait for Writer Dad and Mia to find out. : > )
Marelisa: I think it was both – emotion and fill in the blank. At least that’s how he used it.
Angela: He LOVED the experience. He’s been asking to do it again all week. This afternoon we’re going to answer comments. I can’t wait. It will be so much fun!