prelinguistic

Prelinguistic refers to the stage of human communication before the emergence of true words. In language development, the prelinguistic period covers infancy, roughly from birth to about 12 months, during which infants rely on nonverbal signals and early vocalizations to convey meaning, including crying, facial expressions, gestures, and gaze, with caregiver responses shaping learning.

Vocal development begins with reflexive sounds and vegetative noises, followed by cooing and laughter. Canonical babbling typically appears around 6–10 months, starting with reduplication (ba-ba, da-da) and later variegated forms. These vocalizations are not words but provide practice with articulation and auditory feedback, and they often foreshadow the first true words.

Gestures play a key role. Pointing, reaching, showing, and other symbolic gestures communicate intent before vocabulary emerges. Joint attention and responsive caregiver interaction support language learning by linking sounds to objects and events.

Clinical relevance. The quantity and quality of prelinguistic vocalizations and gestures can predict later language outcomes. Atypical patterns, such as limited babbling or scarce gesture use, may indicate risk for developmental language disorders or autism, highlighting the value of early screening and intervention.

Cross-cultural perspective. Although the general sequence is common, timing and emphasis on vocal play and gesture vary across cultures, influenced by caregiver interaction styles and linguistic environment.