noun
- a hypothetical language of thought in which the mind represents and processes information before converting it into spoken or written language
Usage: cognitive science and philosophy of mind; theoretical concept, not empirically proven
Examples
- Some cognitive scientists propose that mentalese is the underlying system our brains use to think before we speak.
- The concept of mentalese suggests that meaning exists in the mind independently of any natural language.
- Philosophers debate whether mentalese is necessary to explain how humans understand and produce language.
- If mentalese exists, it would explain how we can think about ideas that are difficult to express in words.