mentalese
/ˌmɛntəˈliːz/
noun
- The hypothetical language of thought; the mental system of concepts and representations that underlies all human thinking and language.
- Some philosophers argue that we think in mentalese before translating our thoughts into English or Spanish.
- If mentalese exists, then babies must have a basic mental vocabulary before they learn any spoken words.
- The concept of mentalese helps explain how we can understand new sentences we've never heard before.