English
protoconversation
From proto- + conversation.
Formed from proto- + conversation
Proto-Indo-European *pér ‘through’
Proto-Indo-European *pró ‘forwards, before’
Proto-Hellenic *pró
Ancient Greek πρό ‘before’
Ancient Greek πρῶτος ‘first’
English proto-
Proto-Indo-European *wert- ‘to turn’
…
Latin conversor ‘to associate with’
Latin conversātiō ‘way of life, conduct’
Old French conversacion
Middle English conversacioun
English conversation
Today it means
noun An interaction between an adult (typically a mother) and baby, that includes words, sounds and gestures, that attempts to convey meaning before the onset of language in the child
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “protoconversation”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / protoconversation