BABY TALK

Baby talk, is a nonstandard form of speech used by adults in talking to toddlers and infants. It also has a special pattern of intonation different from that of normal adult speech: high in pitch, with many ups and downs, which makes it more powerful to catch the baby's attention. Baby talk is also characterized by the shortening and simplifying of words and also reduplications. Baby talk is also used by people when talking to their pets, and between adults as a form of affection, intimacy, comedy, bullying or condescension.

Probably since the appearance of human language, baby talk has been used in all parts of the world, so that must mean something. Baby talk is more effective than regular speech in getting an infant's attention. Studies have shown that infants actually prefer to listen to this type of speech and it also accelerates their learning of the adult language. Many researchers also believe that baby talk is an important part of the emotional bonding process.

Every parent develops their own variety of baby talk on the go, but many words and expressions are common for most speakers of the language. Here are the most common baby talk items used in English:


---------- Family ----------

BABY= You. Or you can also use the name of the baby.
MUMMY/DADDY= I, me.
- Give mummy a kiss = give me a kiss
- Baby want a drinkie-winkie? = do you want to have something to drink?
- Daddy wants a cuddlie-wagglie = I want a hug.
- A cuddle for taddy-daddy?= Give daddy a hug.

MA-MA, MAMI= Mum, mother.
DA-DA, DADDY= Dad, father.
NA-NA= grandmother (or also a nanny)
GRAMMY= grandmother
PAW-PAW= grandfather
SISSI= sister
BUBBY= brother
AUNTY= aunt
UNKY= uncle


---------- Parts of the body ----------

WEE-WEE= boy's or girl's genitalia.
PEE-PEE or WILLIE= boy's genitalia. (also urine)
FANNY= girl's genitalia.
BALLS= testicles.
TUMMY or BELLY= Stomach
BELLY BUTTON= Navel
BUM= buttom (now also used in adult language)
FINGHIES= fingers
TOOTSIES= toes
FOOTSIE= foot (pl: footsies)

---------- bodily functions ----------

BELLY BUBBLES= Gas in your stomach or guts (a common and painful infliction for children).

PEE-PEE= urine, pee
POO= Faeces
BOOGERS= mucus (careful, we can use it with babies but we don't say "boogers" in front of other adults, we would say "you've got dirt in your nose"). Alternatively we can say SNOT and say "you've got a snotty nose" (that's acceptable even in front of adults). If the kid is putting his finger up their nose we say DON'T PICK YOUR NOSE! (or "stop picking your nose!").

I GOT A PEE= I need to urinate.
I GOT A POO= I need to defecate.
GO PEE-PPE/POO-POO= Go to urinate/defecate.
YOU HAVING A WEE-WEE / POO-POO?= Are you urinating / defecating?
DO YOU HAVE TO GO POTTY= Do you need to go to the toilet?

YAK= vomit (verb and noun)

If your baby's name is Tim and he farts (expels gas out of his bottom) you can tell him:
YOU HAD A TOOT-TOOTS, MY TIMMY PUMPKIN POO?
My Timmy Pumpkin Poo = Tim. If your baby's name is Joshua you can call him "My Joshy Pumpkin Poo". Yea, it sounds ridiculous, but that's why babies love it.

---------- Accidents and pain ----------

When the baby falls down you can tell him:
OOPS, YOU HAD AN OOPSIE-DAISY
ALL FALL DOWN!

AN OOPSIE-DAISY (or whoopsie-daisy)= A small accident or fall (probably from "upside-down") or to be slightly tossed up in the air & caught by an adult.

BOO-BOO= A pain or hurt.
- "waaaaah, I got a boo boo" = waaaah (crying), I'm hurt (I hurt myself, I have a cut or a bruise, etc.)

SPANK-SPANK= physical punishment (verb and noun)
SMACK-SMACK= physical punishment when you hit their hand or face (softly, of course)

I FELL DOWN-BOOM AND GOT A BOO-BOO= I fell down and hurt myself.

THERE, THERE= It's ok, stop crying (words to comfort a baby who is crying)

HUSH HUSH BABY= Be quiet, baby (stop crying)
HUSH!= Stop talking or making noise.

OOPS!= interjection when they make a mistake (now often used in adult language too)
OUCH! O OUGH!= expression of pain (also used in adult language)

---------- Prohibitions ----------

YUCKY!= You say this to babies when you want to stop them from picking something from the ground or something dirty.

THAT'S A NO-NO= To stop them from touching or doing something they shouldn't. As it uses reduplication, it has a greater impact on children than a single "No".

TUT-TUT= To scold a child because they did something wrong (often said nodding your head, frowning and wagging your finger).  But before they do it, you can also use the expression UH-UH, TUT-TUT with the same use as THAT'S A NO-NO.

---------- Food and drink ----------

YUMMIE! or YUMMIE-YUMMIE!= This food is very nice.
LET'S GO YUM-YUM= Let's go to have lunch (or any meal in general).
LET'S GO DIN-DIN= Let's go to have dinner.

TATO= potato
CHIPS-CHIPS= (BrE) chips  (AmE French fries)
A DRINKIE-WINKIE= Something to drink.
JUICY-JUICE= juice
BAH-BAH= Feeding bottle
WA-WA= Water
NINY= breast or breast milk ("baby want ninny?")

LOOK MUMMY, ALL GONE!= Look mum, I finished all my food/drink.
The expression "all gone!" is also used when something has disappeared, it's not there.

---------- Sleep ----------

BABY GO SLEEPY-BYE-BYE NOW= You are going to bed.
YOU WANNA GO NITE-NITE?= Do you want to go to sleep?
THERE, LET'S BEDDY-BYE= Come on, let's go to bed.
SAY NIGHT-NIGHT= Say good-night.
NIGHTY-NIGHT= Good-night.

NAP-NAP= a siesta, a nap (daytime sleep)
MAKE A PEEP= Fall asleep.

SNUGGIES= blankets.

JAMMIES= Pyjamas.

---------- Animals and objects ----------

CHOO-CHOO= Train.
BOW-WOW= Dog.
MEOW-MEOW= Cat.
MOO-MOO= Cow.
QUACK-QUACK= rubber duck for the bath (also the animal)
BUNNY= rabbit
PUPPY= dog
KITTY= cat
TEDDY BEAR= teddy, bo-bo
LOLLY= Sweets, candies.
TICK-TOCK= clock, watch.
POTTY= chamber pot. Toilet.
PANTIES= (BrE) pants (for boys and girls)
UNDIES= (AmE) underwear
BOOTIES= (the little baby boots they wear before they can walk)
BINKIE or DUMMY or PASSY= Pacifier.
SIPPY= baby cup or glass to drink.
NAPPY or DYDEE or HUGGIE= Diaper
STINKY= A dirty diaper (yeah, I know, shocking)

Moreover, many words can be derived into infant conversations, following certain rules of transformation, in English adding a terminal /i/ sound is a common way to form a diminutive which is used as part of baby talk, examples include:
HORSEY= horse
DOGGY= dog
BOOKY= book
DOLLY= doll
DUCKY= duck
FISHY= fish


---------- Miscellanea ----------

UPPIE!= When babies say this it means "pick me up, hold me in your arms". When adults say it it means "I'm going to pick you up".

LOOKIE-LOOKIE!= Look at this! (to imply that it is very interesting)

LET'S GO WALKIES= Let's go to have a walk. (also WALKIE-WALKIE).

BYE-BYE= Goodbye (now also common in adult language)

PEEKABOO= The infant game of face hiding (you cover your face and say "peeka..." and when you show it you say "boo!")

COOCHY-COOCHY-COO= You say this while you're tickling a baby (or you can also say TICKLE-TICKLE).

SILLY-BILLY!= naughty boy! (you say this when they have done something stupid and wrong)

GO BYE-BYE= leave

GO RIDE= have a ride in a car

WANT PLAY-PLAY?= do you want to play?


---------- Affectionate names to call your baby ----------

The choice people make is very personal, but some of the most common examples are these:

Animal names:  lamb, my little bunny, cuddle-kitten

Food names: sweet, pea, sugar, muffin, dumpling, peach, sweetie pie,
pumpkin, honey, honey bunch, honey-pie, cupcake, sugar lump, cutsie-pie,

Made up sounds: boo, poppy, snugums

Short form of their name: rene' would be nay, tamika would be mika,
Talia could be te-te,

Other: snuggles, fluffy, baby, princess, prince, Mr. Baby, sweetie,
darling, big boy, big girl, baby boy, baby girl

Standard English vocabulary related to infants
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(extracted from http://littleab.com/ABcare/babble.html)

Pram (or perambulator) (BrE): baby carriage (AmE). A four wheeled conveyance with bedding that allows an infant to be transported laying down

Push-chair= Older babies don't use a pram. The infant is sitting.

baby seat: noun, a specially constructed seat for infants and small children that is secured to the safety belt of an auto.

bassinet: noun, A small basket-like bed for infants.

bottle-feed: verb, To feed, as a baby, with a bottle.

breast-feed: verb, To feed (a baby) mother's milk from the breast; suckle.

burp: noun, A belch, verb. burped, burping., burps. intransitive verb, To belch. transitive verb, To cause (a baby) to belch, esp. after feeding.

changing pad: noun, A waterproof pad used under an infant while changing a baby's diaper

changing table: noun, A table or platform for changing a baby's diaper.

cot: noun, (Brit.), A crib

cradle: noun, A small, low bed for an infant, often furnished with rockers, verb,-dled., -dling., -dles. transitive verb, 1. To place or hold in or as if in a cradle. 2. To care for or nurture in infancy.

crawling: verb, To move slowly by dragging the body along the ground without the use of the legs.

creeping: verb, To move on hands and knees with the body close to the ground.

drooling bib: noun, A terrycloth or absorbent cloth bib used to soak up a baby's drool.

Faeces (AmE feces): n. Solid waste, excreted by an animal. Usually referred to as potty, crap, po-po, ca-ca, number 2, etc.

feeding bib: noun, a plastic or fabric bib used during a baby's feeding.

feeding spoon: noun, A small spoon with a protective rubber coating used for feeding infants.

fitted diaper: noun, diaper manufactured with an hourglass shape to fit the curves of the body.

gate (child or baby): noun, A protective gate mounted across a door way, stairs, etc., to prevent access by small children.

gurgle: verb, To make a bubbling sound.

high chair: noun, An elevated chair with an integral tray and safety strap used to hold an infant for feeding.

infant: noun, A very young child who has not learned to speak; (newborn to ~12 months)

infant school: noun, (Brit.), A kindergarten.

mess: noun, feces, verb, To defecate, usually into or on an object. Soil.

messy: Soiled, containing or marked by feces.

nickers: n., a pant-like garment that extends from the waist to the top of the knee.

Playpen or play-yard: noun, A portable enclosure in which a baby can be left to play.

Stroller (AmE) or push-chair (BrE): noun, A four-wheeled conveyance used for shopping which carries the infant in a sitting position.

teething ring: noun, A ring of hard rubber or plastic upon which a teething baby can bite.

toddler: noun, A very young child, older than an infant, but still considered a baby, "one who toddles"; baby between the ages of 1 to 3 years old.

topping and tailing: a method of washing a baby where the baby's body is cleaned without removing the baby's clothes entirely; a type of sponge bath.

walker: noun, A wheeled frame device used to support an infant learning to walk.