At the early stages of language acquisition, babies utter single words in combination with gestures to communicate sentence-like meaning. These utterances are known as:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The utterances described in the question, where babies use a single word in combination with gestures to communicate sentence-like meanings, are known as holophrases. Therefore, the best choice is E. Option A, gestural, is similar but not specific enough to describe these types of utterances. Option B, empty phrases, refers to meaningless or repetitive phrases that may be used by young children but do not convey sentence-like meaning. Option C, telegraphic speech, refers to the stage of language acquisition where children use short and simple phrases, typically omitting function words and other non-essential elements of language. Option D, syntactic, refers to the rules governing the structure of sentences in a language and is not specific to early language acquisition.

At the Early Stages of Language Acquisition, Babies Utter Single