This study investigates how the notion of space emerge in young children. To do so, it carries out a careful re-reading of Sigmund Freud’s analysis of the “fort-da,” showing how this game, spontaneously invented by an 18-month-old child, precisely indicates the articulation between language, space, and the emergence of desire. The discussion also borrows from several remarks made by Jacques Lacan on the topic.
Key words:
Space; language; desire; fort-da