means A very young child, typically one who has not yet begun to walk or talk.

from From Latin infans, meaning literally 'not speaking' — from in- ('not') plus fans, the present participle of fari ('to speak'). The Romans defined the youngest humans by their wordlessness: an infant is, etymologically, one who cannot yet talk. It reached English through Old French enfant. The same fari root quietly surfaces elsewhere — in 'fate' (that which is spoken) and 'fable' (a thing told).