When baby Merri says "Ba!" her father goes to the refrigerator to get Merri a bottle. Merri is using:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Merri is using a holophrase, which is a single word used to convey a complete thought. In this case, "Ba!" is likely a request for her bottle. Babbling is the production of repetitive consonant-vowel sounds, telegraphic speech is the use of two or three-word phrases without grammatical markers, and mommy-directed speech is a type of speech that adults use when talking to infants, characterized by a higher pitch, simpler vocabulary, and exaggerated intonation. None of these options accurately describe Merri's use of "Ba!" as a holophrase.

When Baby Merri Says "Ba!" Her Father Goes to the Refrigerator