Adults' definitions of ‘word’: The effects of literacy and development☆

Abstract This paper investigates the concept of word in adults at various literacy levels. Sixty adults gave definitions of word and judged whether specific items were words, during an interview of metalinguistic awareness. Definitions were analysed in terms of 3 main dimensions: functions, meaning and units. Definitional form was also noted, as were inaccuracies and misunderstandings of terminology. Differences according to literacy level were less striking than expected from the literature. However, higher readers gave more elaborated references to units and fewer references to written functions. They more often approximated the ideal form in their definitions. The definitions given by adults in this study were compared with data reported for children and this comparison was used to critique the developmental theory put forward by Papandropoulou and Sinclair (1974) . All levels of response found among children were also present in our data and there was no evidence for a qualitatively different adult response type. This suggests that factors other than development affect definitions of word and the possible roles of literacy, schooling and popular usage are discussed.