The earliest period of childhood, typically the first year of life. Also used metaphorically to describe the early developmental stage of anything.
From Latin infantia meaning 'inability to speak', from infans 'not speaking', from in- 'not' + fans 'speaking'. Originally emphasized the non-verbal nature of early childhood.
The word 'infancy' literally means 'unable to speak' - our ancestors defined this life stage entirely by what babies couldn't do rather than by their remarkable learning abilities. Modern research shows infants understand language long before they can produce it!
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