prelinguistic

Before language develops

Prelinguistic describes the stage before language develops, typically in infant development: prelinguistic babbling, prelinguistic communication.

Babies communicate through cries, gestures, and sounds before acquiring words.

The term also applies to human evolution before the emergence of language, or to forms of thought and expression that exist outside language.

babbling

cooing

Soft murmuring sounds

gurglingBubbling liquid sound
babblingIncoherent or infantile speech
vocalizationProducing sounds with voice

phonation · prosody · intonation · jargon · squealing · humming · raspberries · syllables · vocalizing

communication

pointing

Directing attention somewhere

gazeFixed, intent look
gesturingMoving limbs expressively
reachingExtending toward something

showing · giving · crying · smiling · frowning · turn-taking · waving

development

infancy

Earliest period of life

toddlerhoodStage of learning walking
attachmentConnection or fondness
bondingForming close connections

motherese · parentese

cognition

sensorimotor

Relating sensation to movement

categorizationArranging into groups
causalityCause-effect connection
habituationDiminished reaction over time

imitation · anticipation · attention · memory · affordances · schema · intentionality

Opposites

language development stage

prelinguisticlinguistic

Concerning language study

verbal · articulate · talking · speaking · eloquent

symbolic capacity

prelinguisticsymbolic

Representing through signs

semiotic · discursive · propositional

Family

language, languages, linguist, bilingual, linguistic, linguistics, multilingual, bilingualism, trilingual

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