infant
UK[ˈɪnfənt]US[ˈɪnfənt]
n
A very young child or baby.
Morpheme Breakdown
in
fant
in
not
fant
speaking
Etymology
The word 'infant' originates from the Latin 'infāns', meaning 'unable to speak' or 'speechless', which is formed from the negative prefix 'in-' and the present participle 'fāns' of the verb 'fārī' (to speak). This literal meaning reflects the ancient Roman legal and social observation that a very young child lacks the faculty of speech. Over time, the term broadened from describing a speechless state to denote the young child itself. The semantic evolution from 'non-speaker' to 'baby' is a clear example of a characteristic (inability to speak) defining the entire category of person.
Analysis
Structure: in (not) + fant (speaking)
in- (Latin prefix meaning 'not'), fant (from Latin 'fāns', present participle of 'fārī', meaning 'to speak').
Examples
The infant slept soundly in the crib.
Infant mortality rates have decreased significantly with modern medicine.
She specializes in infant nutrition and development.