baby talk, 1. (Informal) the speech patterns and sounds of young children learning to talk, characterized by mispronunciation, imperfect syntax, repetition, and phonetic modifications, such as lisping or stuttering. See also lallation. 2. the intentionally oversimplified manner of speech, imitative of young children learning to talk, used by adults in addressing children or pets. 3. the speech patterns characteristic of regressive stages of various mental disorders, especially schizophrenia.
