Special Article: From Birdsong to Babel: the canine connection in the origin of human language
Whistled languages are still found today in many parts of the world, the most celebrated being Silbo, in the Canary Islands. According to Australian Aboriginal legends, it was the birds who taught human beings how to speak. Similar traditions are found in Ancient Greece and Rome and modern Europe....
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Universidad Estatal a Distancia (UNED)
2013-05-01
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| Series: | Cuadernos de investigación UNED |
| Online Access: | https://revistas.uned.ac.cr/index.php/cuadernos/article/view/216 |
| Summary: | Whistled languages are still found today in many parts of the world, the most celebrated being Silbo, in the Canary Islands. According to Australian Aboriginal legends, it was the birds who taught human beings how to speak. Similar traditions are found in Ancient Greece and Rome and modern Europe. This article explores the hypothesis that around 100 000 years BP there was an interaction of whistling sounds among birds, humans and dogs that eventually led to the development of the first natural languages, from birdsong to whistling to articulate speech.
KEY WORDS
evolution of natural languages, birdsong, whistling, dogs
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| ISSN: | 1659-4266 1659-441X |