What is a holophrase?

What is a holophrase?

• A. A single word represents a whole phrase
• B. A two-word combination expresses a full sentence
• C. A telegraphic sentence with missing articles
• D. A word with multiple morphemes

Answer: (A)

Holophrase is when a single word carries an entire thought or sentence. In early speech, children rely on context and tone to get the meaning across, so one word can express a complete request or statement. For example, saying "juice" may mean "I want juice now," or "up" may mean "pick me up." This one word functions as a full utterance, even though the child hasn’t formed a full sentence with grammar yet. This differs from later stages where two words are combined to form simple sentences, or from words that gain extra meaning through multiple morphemes. The key idea is that a single word stands in for a whole message.

Holophrase is when a single word carries an entire thought or sentence. In early speech, children rely on context and tone to get the meaning across, so one word can express a complete request or statement. For example, saying "juice" may mean "I want juice now," or "up" may mean "pick me up." This one word functions as a full utterance, even though the child hasn’t formed a full sentence with grammar yet. This differs from later stages where two words are combined to form simple sentences, or from words that gain extra meaning through multiple morphemes. The key idea is that a single word stands in for a whole message.