Telegraphic speech, according to linguistics and psychology, is speech during the two-word stage of language acquisition in children, which is laconic and efficient.

The name derives from the fact that writing a telegram in flowery language involves laborious translation to and from Morse code. To avoid this, telegrams are typically written in few words, without conjunctions or articles. As children develop language, they speak similarly: when a child says "Water now!" it is understood that the child means, "I would appreciate a glass of water, immediately."

In the field of psychology, telegraphic speech is defined as a form of communication consisting of simple two-word, noun-verb sentences that adhere to the grammatical standards of the culture's language. For example, an English-speaking child would say "Give cupcake" to express that they would like a cupcake rather than "Cupcake give". Researchers have noted that this period of language acquisition occurs some time between the ages of 18–36 months and is present not just in English-speaking cultures, but can be found worldwide (Bloom 1970).

In adults, regression to telegraphic speech may indicate a neurological problem such as multiple sclerosis.

[edit] See also

• Critical period#Linguistics
• Telegraphese

[edit] References

• Barker, S. (2004). Psychology (2nd ed.). Boston: Pearson Education.
• Bloom, L. (1970). Language development: Form and function in emerging grammars. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.