Infanthood

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The developmental phase that begins at birth and extends until a person transitions into childhood
2. This life stage is marked by complete dependence on adults and significant physical and emotional growth
3. The period of early human development from birth until the onset of childhood, characterized by rapid growth and dependency on caregivers

Etymology: "Infanthood" is a plain formation: the noun "infant" with the suffix "-hood," which English has long used to turn a noun into a word for a state, condition or period of life, as in "childhood," "manhood" and "boyhood." Here the suffix attaches to "infant," so the result names the stage of life when someone is an infant. "Infant" itself came into English from Old French "enfant," which descends from Latin "infans," meaning literally "unable to speak." The Latin word was built from "in-," meaning "not," and "fans," the present participle of "fari," "to speak," so the earliest stage of life was named for the absence of speech. "Infanthood" simply adds the English suffix to that older noun.

Synonyms: babyhood, toddlerhood, childhood, early life, youth

Antonyms: adulthood, maturity, senescence, old age, aging