'Baby talk' important part of evolution
Sydney: Australian researchers have unlocked the reason why adults use infant directed speech or baby talk when addressing infants.According to a new study published on Wednesday, the Western Sydney University revealed that mothers unconsciously raise the pitch of their voice as an evolutionary trait in order to comfort their babies and make themselves appear friendlier, Xinua news agency reports. It also helps babies learn language, as the sounds are clearer and easier to disseminate.
"What we found in this study was that mothers weren't actually making more exaggerated movements with their tongue to make the sound clearer," lead author Dr Marina Kalashnikova said. "They were shortening the side of the vocal track and that was leading to a higher pitch in their voice and also clearer speech sounds," she added.