This article addresses the acquisition of meaning of words and phrases that refer to aspects of the world that are not directly perceivable. It examines the patterns of semantic input that are available in the linguistic environment that provide clues to allow a child to construct a lexicon that is both broad and deep. These patterns are illustrated with examples from the author's research on implicit verb causality, underlying dimensions of affective meaning, and the acquisition of rare adjectives. Throughout the article, the author selectively reviews the literature on children with language impairments to examine what is known about depth of vocabulary knowledge in these populations.
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