In the context of language development, the meaningless speechlike sounds uttered by infants, such as dadada, are called:

• A. telegraphic speech
• B. babbling
• C. holophrastic speech
• D. overextension

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the key terms related to early language development in infants: telegraphic speech, babbling, holophrastic speech, and overextension.
2. Recognize that 'babbling' refers to the stage where infants produce repetitive, speechlike but meaningless sounds such as 'dadada'.
3. Note that 'telegraphic speech' involves short, simple sentences that omit smaller words, typically seen in toddlers, not infants.
4. Identify 'holophrastic speech' as the use of single words to express whole ideas, which comes after babbling.
5. Understand 'overextension' as a phenomenon where a child applies a word too broadly, which is a later stage in language development.