Which term describes postlingually deafness?

• A. Prelingually deaf
• B. Postlingually deaf
• C. Deafened
• D. Echolocation

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is how the timing of hearing loss relates to language development. Postlingual refers to losing hearing after a person has already learned language and uses it for communication. So, postlingual deafness describes hearing loss that occurs after language has been acquired, such as someone who had normal hearing or developed speech earlier and then became deaf later in life. This contrasts with prelingual, which describes deafness that occurs before language is learned, often in early childhood or at birth. The term deafened is sometimes used in casual speech for someone who recently became deaf, but the precise label for late-onset deafness in relation to language development is postlingual. Echolocation is unrelated to the onset timing of deafness.