elderspeak
Etymology
From elder + -speak.
elderspeak means A simplified, patronizing speech style used by younger adults when addressing elderly people. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 83 out of 100.
Why “elderspeak” is a great word
ELDERSPEAK — [Noun] A simplified, patronizing speech style used by younger adults when addressing elderly people, characterized by exaggerated intonation, simplified grammar, and a diminutive tone. From elder (meaning an older person) + -speak (a suffix denoting a characteristic style of language, as in newspeak). Unlike baby talk (which scaffolds a child’s development) or respectful address (which confers dignity), elderspeak imposes a fabricated incompetence. It is the saccharine lilt at the bedside, the public use of "sweetie" for a woman with decades of authority, and the slow, loud explanation of what is already understood—a vocal shroud that gently smothers a person's standing in the sound of their own name.
noun
- A simplified, patronizing speech style used by younger adults when addressing elderly people.“In this case, the “communicative predicament of aging” is that elderspeak led to a decrease in the older adults' self-ratings of communicative competence yet it also improved their performance on the referential communication tasks.”