lallation /lalā″shən/ [L, lallare, to babble] , 1. repetitive, unintelligible utterances, such as the babbling of an infant or the mumbled speech of individuals with schizophrenia, alcoholism, or severe cognitive impairments. 2. a speech disorder characterized by a defective pronunciation of words containing the sound /l/ or by the use of the sound /l/ in place of the sound /r/. Compare rhotacism.
