Talking animal
Encyclopedia
A talking animal or speaking animal refers to any form of non-human animal which can produce sounds (or gestures) resembling those of a human language
. Many species or groups of animals have developed forms of Animal Communication Systems (ACS for short- see Derek Bickerton
for a synopsis of the term) which to some appear to be a non-verbal language. These are not defined as language in the human sense due to a lack of grammar, syntax, recursion, and displacement. Studies in animal cognition
have been arguably successful in teaching some animals speech or sign, similar to sign language
, but not actually defined as such. In the famous case of Koko
the gorilla, for example, Koko
was unable to break-away from the here-and-now (displacement) in her signs. This among others represent various hallmarks of human language that Koko and similar animals have been unable to achieve.
For a representation of talking animals in fiction, see the page talking animals in fiction
.
The term may have a nearly literal meaning, by referring to animals which can imitate human speech, though not necessarily possessing an understanding of what they may be mimicking. The most common example of this would be parrot
s, many of which repeat many things nonsensically through exposure. It is an anthropomorphism
to call this human speech, as it has no semantic grounding.
Clever Hans
was a horse
that was claimed to have been able to perform arithmetic
and other intellectual tasks. After formal investigation in 1907, psychologist
Oskar Pfungst
demonstrated that the horse was not actually performing these mental tasks, but was watching the reaction of his human observers. The horse was responding directly to involuntary cues in the body language
of the human trainer, who had the faculties to solve each problem, with the trainer unaware that he was providing such cues.
Researchers have attempted to teach great apes
(Gorillas, Chimpanzees, and Bonobos) spoken language with poor results, and sign language with significantly better results. However, even the best communicating great ape has shown an inability to grasp the idea of syntax and grammar, instead communicating at best at the same level as a pidgin
language in Humans. They are expressive and communicative, but lack the formality that remains such a rarity in human speech.
Howewer, modern research shows that the key difference is actually the animal's lack of asking questions and that formal syntax is merely a superficial detail. There is other differences as well, including poor precision, as shown by Kanzi the bonobo using the lexigram for "chase" interchangeably with that for "get", and there is research supporting the notions that the linguistic limitations in animals is due to limited general brainpower (as opposed to lack of a specific module) and that words are created by breaking down sentences into pieces, making grammar more basic than semantics. The claim that syntax is the key difference between human and animal language is highly dubious.
strongly suggests that parrots are capable of speaking in context and with intentional meaning. Pepperberg's star pupil, Alex
the African Grey Parrot, had demonstrated the ability to assemble words out of letters—in other words, to read and spell.
Human language
A human language is a language primarily intended for communication among humans. The two major categories of human languages are natural languages and constructed languages...
. Many species or groups of animals have developed forms of Animal Communication Systems (ACS for short- see Derek Bickerton
Derek Bickerton
Derek Bickerton is a linguist and Professor Emeritus at the University of Hawaii, Manoa. Based on his work in creole languages in Guyana and Hawaii, he has proposed that the features of creole languages provide powerful insights into the development of language both by individuals and as a...
for a synopsis of the term) which to some appear to be a non-verbal language. These are not defined as language in the human sense due to a lack of grammar, syntax, recursion, and displacement. Studies in animal cognition
Animal cognition
Animal cognition is the title given to the study of the mental capacities of non-human animals. It has developed out of comparative psychology, but has also been strongly influenced by the approach of ethology, behavioral ecology, and evolutionary psychology...
have been arguably successful in teaching some animals speech or sign, similar to sign language
Sign language
A sign language is a language which, instead of acoustically conveyed sound patterns, uses visually transmitted sign patterns to convey meaning—simultaneously combining hand shapes, orientation and movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to fluidly express a speaker's...
, but not actually defined as such. In the famous case of Koko
Koko (gorilla)
Koko is a female western lowland gorilla who, according to Francine "Penny" Patterson, is able to understand more than 1,000 signs based on American Sign Language, and understand approximately 2,000 words of spoken English....
the gorilla, for example, Koko
Koko (gorilla)
Koko is a female western lowland gorilla who, according to Francine "Penny" Patterson, is able to understand more than 1,000 signs based on American Sign Language, and understand approximately 2,000 words of spoken English....
was unable to break-away from the here-and-now (displacement) in her signs. This among others represent various hallmarks of human language that Koko and similar animals have been unable to achieve.
For a representation of talking animals in fiction, see the page talking animals in fiction
Talking animals in fiction
Talking creatures are a common theme in mythology and folk tales, as well as children's literature. Fictional talking creatures often are anthropomorphic, possessing human-like qualities but appearing as a creature...
.
On imitation and understanding
Parrot
Parrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Strigopidae...
s, many of which repeat many things nonsensically through exposure. It is an anthropomorphism
Anthropomorphism
Anthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics to animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities. The term was coined in the mid 1700s...
to call this human speech, as it has no semantic grounding.
Clever Hans
Clever Hans
Clever Hans was an Orlov Trotter horse that was claimed to have been able to perform arithmetic and other intellectual tasks....
was a horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
that was claimed to have been able to perform arithmetic
Arithmetic
Arithmetic or arithmetics is the oldest and most elementary branch of mathematics, used by almost everyone, for tasks ranging from simple day-to-day counting to advanced science and business calculations. It involves the study of quantity, especially as the result of combining numbers...
and other intellectual tasks. After formal investigation in 1907, psychologist
Psychologist
Psychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college...
Oskar Pfungst
Oskar Pfungst
Oskar Pfungst was a German comparative biologist and psychologist. While working as a volunteer assistant in the laboratory of Carl Stumpf in Berlin, Pfungst was asked to investigate the horse known as Clever Hans, who could apparently solved a wide array of arithmetic problems set to it by its...
demonstrated that the horse was not actually performing these mental tasks, but was watching the reaction of his human observers. The horse was responding directly to involuntary cues in the body language
Body language
Body language is a form of non-verbal communication, which consists of body posture, gestures, facial expressions, and eye movements. Humans send and interpret such signals almost entirely subconsciously....
of the human trainer, who had the faculties to solve each problem, with the trainer unaware that he was providing such cues.
On formality of animal language
A "formal language" requires a communication with a syntax as well as semantics. It is not simply sufficient for one to communicate information or even use symbology to communicate ideas. It has yet to be demonstrated that any animal species has developed a formal language, or been able to learn a formal language.Researchers have attempted to teach great apes
Great Ape language
Research into non-human great ape language has involved teaching chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans to communicate with human beings and with each other using sign language, physical tokens, and lexigrams; see Yerkish...
(Gorillas, Chimpanzees, and Bonobos) spoken language with poor results, and sign language with significantly better results. However, even the best communicating great ape has shown an inability to grasp the idea of syntax and grammar, instead communicating at best at the same level as a pidgin
Pidgin
A pidgin , or pidgin language, is a simplified language that develops as a means of communication between two or more groups that do not have a language in common. It is most commonly employed in situations such as trade, or where both groups speak languages different from the language of the...
language in Humans. They are expressive and communicative, but lack the formality that remains such a rarity in human speech.
Howewer, modern research shows that the key difference is actually the animal's lack of asking questions and that formal syntax is merely a superficial detail. There is other differences as well, including poor precision, as shown by Kanzi the bonobo using the lexigram for "chase" interchangeably with that for "get", and there is research supporting the notions that the linguistic limitations in animals is due to limited general brainpower (as opposed to lack of a specific module) and that words are created by breaking down sentences into pieces, making grammar more basic than semantics. The claim that syntax is the key difference between human and animal language is highly dubious.
Birds
Research done by Dr. Irene PepperbergIrene Pepperberg
Irene Maxine Pepperberg is a scientist noted for her studies in animal cognition, particularly in relation to parrots. She is an adjunct professor of psychology at Brandeis University and a lecturer at Harvard University...
strongly suggests that parrots are capable of speaking in context and with intentional meaning. Pepperberg's star pupil, Alex
Alex (parrot)
Alex was an African Grey Parrot and the subject of a thirty-year experiment by animal psychologist Irene Pepperberg, initially at the University of Arizona and later at Harvard University and Brandeis University. Pepperberg bought Alex in a regular pet shop when he was about one year old...
the African Grey Parrot, had demonstrated the ability to assemble words out of letters—in other words, to read and spell.
Dogs
- Internet phenomenon, Mishka the talking HuskyHuskyHusky is a general name for a type of dog originally used to pull sleds in northern regions, differentiated from other sled dog types by their fast hard pulling style...
, has been trained to say certain phrases, most notably "I love you", and has videos of her saying phrases like "Hello", "NOOOOO", and also has "sung" with the help of AutoTune. - Odie (July 9, 1997 - January 31, 2008), the talking pugPugThe pug is a "toy" breed of dog with a wrinkly, short-muzzled face, and curled tail. The breed has a fine, glossy coat that comes in a variety of colors, and a compact square body with well-developed muscle. They have been described as multum in parvo , referring to the pug's personality and...
that will say a convincing "I love you" on demand has made appearances on Letterman, The Montel Show, and on AOL's "T.V. top 5". - ParanormalParanormalParanormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
researcher Charles FortCharles FortCharles Hoy Fort was an American writer and researcher into anomalous phenomena. Today, the terms Fortean and Forteana are used to characterize various such phenomena. Fort's books sold well and are still in print today.-Biography:Charles Hoy Fort was born in 1874 in Albany, New York, of Dutch...
wrote in his book Wild TalentsWild TalentsWild Talents is the fourth and final nonfiction book written by paranormal author Charles Fort, published in 1932.-Overview:Like Fort's previous works, this book deals largely with a number of anomalous phenomena, as well as his ongoing attack on scientific dogma...
(1932) of several alleged cases of dogs that could speak English. Fort took the stories from contemporary newspaper counts, but they are unverifiable at this late date. - A French bulldogFrench BulldogThe French bulldog is a small breed of domestic dog, related to the English bulldog and American bulldog.-History:The origin of the modern French Bulldog breed descends directly from the dogs of the Molossians, an ancient Greek tribe. The dogs were spread throughout the ancient world by Phoenician...
named "Princess Jacqueline" was reported in US newspapers to have had a speaking vocabulary of more than 20 words, using all of them correctly. Researchers from Johns Hopkins UniversityJohns Hopkins UniversityThe Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
stated that she possessed vocal chords that resembled that of humans. She was believed to be the "only talking dog in the world" at the time of her death in 1934. - See also Nazi talking dogsNazi talking dogsDuring the 1930s and 1940s, German animal behaviorists were encouraged to explore whether dogs could be taught to speak or communicate in other ways in order to be useful in the Nazi war effort. This talking dog research was dubbed the Woofan SS by the UK newspaper The Daily Telegraph...
Cats
- A talking cat called Cingene (Gypsy) made Turkish television news on March 20, 1993. The two year old black cat managed to say at least seven words on television.
- A more recent Internet phenomenon is the case of a cat who was videotaped speaking recognizable human words and phrases such as "Oh my dog," "Oh Don piano", and "All the live long day." Footage of this cat, nicknamed "Oh Long Johnson" from one of the phrases spoken, was featured on America's Funniest Home VideosAmerica's Funniest Home VideosAmerica's Funniest Home Videos is an American reality television program on ABC in which viewers are able to send in humorous homemade videotapes. The most common videos usually feature slapstick physical comedy arising from incidents, accidents and mishaps...
in 1998, and a longer version of the clip (which revealed the animal was speaking to another cat) was later aired in the UK. Clips from this video are prevalent on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
- Another recent Internet phenomenon is the cat named Tiggy. Tiggy the Talking Cat (1990 - June 23, 2010) was a unique cat who made a unique talking like noise. Tiggy is from Grimsby, England and was born in 1990; she died on Wednesday 23 June 2010 at the age of 20.
Tiggy started making this strange noise at around the age of 8 and would only make it when she was alone and out of sight. After years of hearing the noise and never seeing it being made, in May 2007, out of curiosity as to what Tiggy looked like when making this noise (and also to show it to friends who did not believe that the cat could talk), her owners set up a video camera and left it on record in a spot where Tiggy regularly "spoke". Eventually, footage was captured of Tiggy sitting in the hallway making the noise which sounded like "Hello" four times. This video was uploaded to YouTube and was the first Tiggy video.
In the first Tiggy video, she was quite a distance from the camera, so the owners tried again. The second attempt was a great success with Tiggy walking up to the camera and talking for around 20 seconds. The video captured the second time was also uploaded to YouTube along with the first video and it became a huge hit acquiring millions of views on YouTube, turning Tiggy into an Internet celebrity.
A further video was then filmed in the same house and uploaded to YouTube in June. No more videos of Tiggy appeared on YouTube until August 2009 when videos of Tiggy playing and talking were uploaded.
Footage of Tiggy has made its way onto several TV Shows in both the USA and UK. Tiggy's first T.V appearance was in the UK on Channel 4Channel 4Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's Richard & JudyRichard & JudyRichard & Judy was a British magazine/chat show which was presented by married couple Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan. It originally aired on Channel 4 from 2001 to 2008 but later moved to digital channel Watch in October 2008. It featured the world's most famous stars, along with their Book Club...
show during the "Funny Five" segment of the show, which consisted of 5 funny videos from the Internet being nominated by a different celebrity guest each week; viewers then voted for their favorite online. Tiggy won the Funny Five competition for the 2007 series of the show, and the crew visited Tiggy in her home and presented her with a plaque signed by presenters Richard and JudyRichard and JudyRichard and Judy is the name informally given to Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan, a married couple who are both British television presenters and columnists. Since their marriage, their television appearances have been largely made as a couple. They are best known for presenting This Morning and...
. It was Tiggy's appearance on this show that helped make her popularity on YouTube so large that she was featured on the main YouTube page due to the huge amount of views the TV appearances caused.
Tiggy has then gone on to appear on a number of shows all over the world including: CBBC's Chute!Chute! (television programme)Chute is a children's video clip programme presented by Ross Lee that can be seen often on CBBC originally broadcast between September and December 2007.-Overview:...
, BBC's Lenny Henry.tv, CMT's Country Fried Home VideosCountry Fried Home VideosCountry Fried Home Videos is a television program that is aired on CMT. It is hosted by Bill Engvall, an American stand-up comic.- Description :...
, The Ellen DeGeneres ShowThe Ellen DeGeneres ShowThe Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...
, and various shows on Animal Planet.
- Miles v. City Council of Augusta, GeorgiaMiles v. City Council of Augusta, GeorgiaMiles v. City Council of Augusta, Georgia, , is a United States federal court case in which the court found that the exhibition of a talking cat was an occupation for the purposes of municipal licensing law....
Others
- HooverHoover (seal)Hoover was a harbor seal who was able to imitate basic human speech.He was an orphan when he was found by George and Alice Swallow in Maine in 1971. George and Alice decided to take him home. At first the baby seal didn't want to eat, but soon he ate at the pace of a vacuum cleaner...
, a harbor sealHarbor SealThe harbor seal , also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere...
that would vocally repeat common phrases that he heard around his exhibit at the New England AquariumNew England AquariumThe New England Aquarium is an aquarium located in Boston, Massachusetts.In addition to the main aquarium building, attractions at the New England Aquarium include the Simons IMAX Theatre and the New England Aquarium Whale Watch, which operates from April through November...
, including his name. He appeared in publications like Reader's DigestReader's DigestReader's Digest is a general interest family magazine, published ten times annually. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, its headquarters is now in New York City. It was founded in 1922, by DeWitt Wallace and Lila Bell Wallace...
and The New YorkerThe New YorkerThe New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
and television programs like Good Morning AmericaGood Morning AmericaGood Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
.
- Gef the talking mongooseGef the talking mongooseGef , referred to as the Talking Mongoose or the Dalby Spook, was a talking mongoose reported to inhabit a farmhouse known as Cashen's Gap near the hamlet of Dalby on the Isle of Man...
was an alleged talking animal who inhabited a small house on the Isle of ManIsle of ManThe Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
, off the coast of Great BritainGreat BritainGreat Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. Opinion is divided on whether Gef was a poltergeistPoltergeistA poltergeist is a paranormal phenomenon which consists of events alluding to the manifestation of an imperceptible entity. Such manifestation typically includes inanimate objects moving or being thrown about, sentient noises and, on some occasions, physical attacks on those witnessing the...
, a strange animal or cryptidCryptozoologyCryptozoology refers to the search for animals whose existence has not been proven...
, a hoaxHoaxA hoax is a deliberately fabricated falsehood made to masquerade as truth. It is distinguishable from errors in observation or judgment, or rumors, urban legends, pseudosciences or April Fools' Day events that are passed along in good faith by believers or as jokes.-Definition:The British...
, or something else.
- BatyrBatyrBatyr was an Asian elephant claimed to be able to use a large amount of meaningful human speech. Living in a zoo in Kazakhstan, Batyr was reported as having a vocabulary of more than 20 phrases....
(1969–1993), an elephant from KazakhstanKazakhstanKazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
, was widely published as having a vocabulary of more than 20 phrases. Recordings of Batyr saying "Batyr is good","Batyr is hungry" and using words such as "drink" and "give" was played on Kazakh state radio in 1980.
- KosikKosikKosik is a male Asian elephant in the Everland theme park in Yongin, South Korea, born 1990. He made headlines in September 2006 when it was discovered he could imitate the Korean words for "yes" , "no" , "sit" , "lie down" , and four other words...
(1990—present), an elephant able to imitate some Korean words.
See also
- Animal cognitionAnimal cognitionAnimal cognition is the title given to the study of the mental capacities of non-human animals. It has developed out of comparative psychology, but has also been strongly influenced by the approach of ethology, behavioral ecology, and evolutionary psychology...
- Animal communicationAnimal communicationAnimal communication is any behavior on the part of one animal that has an effect on the current or future behaviour of another animal. The study of animal communication, is sometimes called Zoosemiotics has played an important part in the...
- Animal languageAnimal languageAnimal language is the modeling of human language in non human animal systems. While the term is widely used, researchers agree that animal languages are not as complex or expressive as human language....
- Human speechome projectHuman speechome projectThe Human Speechome Project, , is an effort to closely observe and model the language acquisition of a child over the first three years of life....
- Kinship with All LifeKinship With All LifeKinship with All Life: Simple, Challenging, Real-Life Experiences Showing How Animals Communicate with Each Other and with People Who Understand Them is a book by J. Allen Boone...
(book) - Vocal learningVocal learningVocal learning is the ability of animals to modify vocal signals in form as a result of experience with those of other individuals. This can lead to signals that are either similar or dissimilar to the model...
External links
- New England Aquarium's Hoover page
- Listen to Nature "The Language of Birds" includes article and audio samples of "talking" birds