Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
👶 Baby babbling 🗣️ Speech defect
lallation

lallation

9.9
Speech made of baby-like, unclear sounds that do not make sense
  • noun
  • /ˌlæleɪˈʃən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : lallación
  • The child's lallation filled the room with cheerful, nonsensical sounds.

Examples

  • The linguist studied the patterns of lallation in early language development.

  • During her performance, the actress imitated the lallation of an infant to amuse the audience.

  • The baby's lallation filled the room with joy.

  • Her lallations were adorable as she played with her toys.

  • The child's lallation filled the room with cheerful, nonsensical sounds.

  • During her performance, the actress imitated the lallation of an infant to amuse the audience.

  • Her lallations were adorable as she played with her toys.

Synonyms

mumble
vslallation
29 4.6

A soft, unclear sound made when someone speaks

is about sounding like infant babble rather than simply being quiet and unclear
babble
vslallation
19 4.4

Soft, happy sounds a baby makes before speaking clearly

is the general label for speech specifically imitating babylike noises
babbling
vslallation
18 3.3

Sounds babies make before they can speak, like meaningless words

is any speech that only resembles those infant sounds rather than being them
mumbling
vslallation
6 3.6

Speaking quietly and not clearly so people cannot understand

focuses on resembling baby sounds rather than general indistinct speech
jabbering
vslallation
  • Informal
4 7.9

Fast, unclear talk that is hard to understand

shares unintelligibility but specifically evokes babylike nonsensical sounds
gabble
vslallation
1 9.3

Fast, unclear talking that is hard to understand

matches unclear delivery but adds a childish, babbling sound quality
baby talk
vslallation
1 3.9

Speech by a very young child using simple sounds and words

is broader, covering speech that simply imitates that young child quality
babytalk
vslallation
  • Baby Talk
6.3

A way adults speak to young children using simple words and a higher voice

describes speech that merely sounds like childish babbling rather than intentional imitation

Antonyms

coherent
75 7.2

Clear and logical speaking or writing that is easy to understand

articulateness
1 6.7

The ability to speak or write clearly and well

How Babbling

lallation
  • Specialized
9.9
slurred
3 6.0
coherent
75 7.2

Surface Forms

lallation singular
lallations plural

Morphology

lallation = lallate (transparent) = lall + ation

Formed by standard noun derivation from the verb 'lallate' (verb -> -ation), so the noun denotes the action/state of babbling and is directly derived.

Etymology

Lallation comes from the old Latin verb lallare, which copies the 'la-la' sounds babies make. That's why it means speech that sounds like a baby babbling.