A recent study has shown that a whistling language developed by shepherds in the Canary Islands is “processed by the brain in the same way as ordinary speech”:http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/story.jsp?story=598140. It implies that the brain can process other non-verbal communication as language, too.
If you’ve read David Brin’s “Startide Rising”:http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue154/classic.html, this should ring a bell. (If you haven’t, consider this a recommendation.) The book has neo-dolphins and humans communicating in a common language, developed to allow either species to make the appropriate sounds.
[Deana points out an "earlier post about Silbo":http://www.globalspin.com/mt/archives/000184.html, the language in question. The new article is more about how the language is processed in the brain. ~c]
Oh, phoo. I read this earlier and then decided not to post anything because I have a vague memory of posting something about Silbo a few months ago. I have (used to have?) a great Jacques Cousteau documentary that discussed dolphin whistles as a potential form of communication, then showed people using Silbo to demonstrate that whistling languages do exist.
“A few months ago”:http://www.globalspin.com/mt/archives/000184.html was, like, 15 months ago. Oh well.
[I'm sure Chris will pretty this up] [ _he did. ~c_ ]
The link from my original post no longer works, dag bum it. So I’m whistling the blues…
I’ve updated the link from your original post to reference a “more permanent CNN article”:http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/11/16/offbeat.save.the.whistle.ap/, hopefully based on the same source.
The mp3 link on that article no longer works, but this link does: http://www.coreyhaines.com/coreysramblings/content/binary/silbo.mp3
Deana, lovin’ me some Silbo