motherese en · NOUN
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *méh₂tēr Proto-Germanic *mōdēr Proto-West Germanic *mōder Old English mōdor Middle English moder English mother Proto-Indo-European *-iskos Proto-Germanic *-iskaz Proto-West Germanic *-iskbor. Late Latin -iscus ▲ Vulgar Latin -iscus Latin -ēnsis Old French -eisbor. Middle English -eys English -ese English motherese From mother + -ese.
Meanings
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(uncountable) Baby talk.
With its slow and exaggerated intonations, motherese speeds language learning by providing input that is easier for infants to process.
2016, Joseph Henrich, chapter 13, in The Secret of Our Success […] , Princeton: Princeton University Press, →ISBN:
Translations (4)
es maternés (motherese — see also baby talk) · fr mamanais (motherese — see also baby talk) · pl mowa matczyna (motherese — see also baby talk) · de Mutterisch (motherese — see also baby talk)