Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Protowords

  • Reference work entry
Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders

  • 339 Accesses

Synonyms

Phonetically consistent form; Quasi-words; Vocable

Definition

Protowords are word-like forms produced by young children as they transition from prelinguistic to linguistic communication (i.e., the time at which children produce intelligible single words that approximate conventional pronunciation). In typical development, protowords emerge between 10 and 12 months of age and are made up of the types of sounds that children use when babbling. Common examples of protowords are mama, dada, and baba. Protowords differ from repetitive babbling in two critical ways: (a) protowords are limited to one to two syllables in length and (b) protowords are used consistently by the child to refer to a corresponding object, person, or event in the child's immediate context. Protowords also have been referred to as repeatedly occurring phonetic units loosely bound to specifiable contexts.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 1,799.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References and Readings

  • Dore, J., Franklin, M., Miller, R., & Ramer, A. (1975). Transitional phenomena in early language acquisition. Journal of Child Language, 3, 13–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferguson, C. A. (1976). Learning to pronounce: The earliest stages of phonological development in the child. Papers and Reports on Child Language Development, 11, 1–27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Menyuk, P., & Menn, L. (1979). Early strategies for the perception and production of words and sounds. In P. Fletcher & M. Garman (Eds.), Language acquisition: Studies on first language development. Cambridge, MA: CUP.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vihman, M., & McCune, L. (1994). When is a word a word? Jounal of Child Language, 21, 317–342.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. M.I.N.D. Institute, Sacramento, CA, USA

    Dr. Andrea McDuffie

Authors
  1. Dr. Andrea McDuffie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Andrea McDuffie .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Irving B. Harris Professor of Child Psychiatry, Pediatrics and Psychology Yale University School of Medicine, Chief, Child Psychiatry Children's Hospital at Yale-New Haven Child Study Center, New Haven, CT, USA

    Fred R. Volkmar (Director, Child Study Center) (Director, Child Study Center)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this entry

Cite this entry

McDuffie, A. (2013). Protowords. In: Volkmar, F.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1698-3_1694

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1698-3_1694

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-1697-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-1698-3

  • eBook Packages: Behavioral Science

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation