Previous studies report that children use color words haphazardly before acquiring adult-like meanings. The most common explanation is that children do not abstract color as a domain of linguistic meaning until several months after they begin producing color words, resulting in a stage during which children produce but do not comprehend color words. Contrary to this account, the current study provides converging evidence from multiple measures that toddlers (N=55; 18-33 mos) acquire partial but systematic color word meanings often before production, although adult meanings are acquired much later. These data support the idea that inductive processes of category formation, rather than problems abstracting color, explain the delay between children's first production of color words and mastery of adult meanings.

Previous studies report that children use color words haphazardly before acquiring adult-like meanings. The most common explanation is that children do not abstract color as a domain of linguistic meaning until several months after they begin producing color words, resulting in a stage during which children produce but do not comprehend color words. Contrary to this account, the current study provides converging evidence from multiple measures that toddlers (N=55; 18-33 mos) acquire partial but systematic color word meanings often before production, although adult meanings are acquired much later. These data support the idea that inductive processes of category formation, rather than problems abstracting color, explain the delay between children's first production of color words and mastery of adult meanings.