motherese
Britishnoun
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
These higher and lower frequency patterns produced an overall greater bandwidth—mirroring the patterns seen in human motherese, the researchers say.
From Science Magazine • Jun. 25, 2023
“It makes sense that dolphins would use their version of motherese almost solely for bonding,” she says, given their large, mobile societies, and the necessity of staying in touch over sometimes long distances.
From Science Magazine • Jun. 25, 2023
And babies, as anyone who has ever found themselves in the presence of one knows, also prefer the higher pitched, universal singsong that researchers call "motherese."
From Salon • Oct. 23, 2022
The timbre – the voice color – also changes when people speak "motherese" compared to when talking to other adults.
From Salon • Aug. 28, 2021
Aigner-Clark hired the women from a nearby language school and instructed them to speak in "motherese," the universal, high-pitched tone that many mothers use when talking to their children.
From Time Magazine Archive
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
