An expert has revealed why the majority of people’s pet names begin with the letter ‘B’. (Think Babe, Beautiful, Buddy, Baby, Boo, Bae, the list goes on…)
Well, according to Frank Nuessel, there is an actual reason for this and it’s kind of sweet.
The University of Louisville professor told Good Housekeeping that it’s because of the way we learn language as babies.
This usually starts with the “ahh” sound before moving on to what are known as bilabial sounds (those that are formed with both lips) like ‘B’, ‘M’ and ‘P’.
Nuessel explained: “When parents, and usually it’s the mother who interacts the most, tries to teach the baby language, they use terms of the child: mama, papa, baba.
“Then the adults transfer the language to other adults or significant others in their life, and they use those as terms of endearment.”
Basically, we subconsciously associate these sounds with love, affection and comfort so that’s why we transfer them to our partners, kids and friends.
Do you use any pet names for your nearest and dearest? Share them with us in the Facebook comments or get in touch on Twitter!
