This is the first, shortest stage of language acquisition. It begins at birth and ends around age 18 months. During this stage, infants produce single-word utterances (holophrases) that express complete thoughts or ideas. These words are often nouns, verbs, adjectives, or adverbs, and they are typically used in a concrete, context-dependent way. For example, an infant might use the word "ball" to refer to any round object, or the word "mama" to refer to any female adult.
Here are some examples of holophrases:
- "Mama" (to refer to mother)
- "Dada" (to refer to father)
- "Ball" (to refer to any round object)
- "Dog" (to refer to any four-legged animal)
- "Eat" (to express hunger)
- "Go" (to express a desire to move)
- "Up" (to express a desire to be lifted up)
- "Down" (to express a desire to be put down)
- "No" (to express disapproval)
- "Yes" (to express approval)
Holophrastic utterances are often accompanied by gestures, facial expressions, and body language. These nonverbal cues help to convey the infant's meaning.
As infants progress through the holophrastic stage, they begin to produce longer and more complex utterances. They also start to use words in a more abstract and symbolic way. By the end of this stage, infants typically have a vocabulary of around 50 words.