Talking animal

For talking animals in folklore and storytelling, see talking animals in fiction.

A talking animal or speaking animal refers to any 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) which to some appear to be a verbal language. These are not defined as language in the human sense—they lack grammar, syntax, recursion, and displacement. Studies in animal cognition have been successful in teaching some animals speech or sign, similar to sign language, but not defined as such. In the 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.

On imitation and understanding

Clever Hans performing

The term refers to animals which can imitate (though not necessarily understand) human speech. Parrots, for example, repeat 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, and was 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 sufficient for one to communicate information or even use symbols 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 (gorillas, chimpanzees, and bonobos) spoken language with poor results, and sign language with significantly better results.^{[citation needed]} 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 unique to human speech.

Modern research shows that the key difference is the animal's lack of asking questions and that formal syntax is merely a superficial detail. There are other differences as well, including poor precision, as shown by Kanzi the bonobo used the lexigram for chase interchangeably with that for get. Research supports the idea that the linguistic limitations in animals are due to limited general brainpower (as opposed to lack of a specific module),^{[citation needed]} and that words are created by breaking down sentences into pieces, making grammar more basic than semantics. The statement that syntax is the key difference between human and animal language is dubious.

Reported cases by species

Birds

Main article: Talking bird

• Research done by Dr. Irene Pepperberg strongly suggests that parrots are capable of speaking in context and with intentional meaning. Pepperberg's star pupil, Alex the African Grey Parrot, demonstrated the ability to assemble words out of letters—in other words, to read and spell.

Dogs

See also: Hundesprechschule Asra

• A dog on America's Funniest Home Videos named Fluffy, said " I want my momma" after being asked "Do you want your momma?".
• Internet phenomenon, Mishka the talking Siberian Husky, was trained to say phrases including "I love you", "hello", and "nooooo"; she could "sing" with the help of AutoTune and her manager. Mishka would also mimic a word her owners said if the prefixed it with "Mishka, can you say...".
• Odie (July 9, 1997 – January 31, 2008), a talking pug who said "I love you" on demand, made appearances on Late Show with David Letterman, The Montel Williams Show, and AOL's T.V. Top 5.
• Paranormal researcher Charles Fort wrote in his book Wild Talents (1932) of several alleged cases of dogs that could speak English. Fort took the stories from contemporary newspaper accounts.

Cats

• The case of a cat who was videotaped speaking purported human words and phrases such as "Oh my dog," "Oh Long John," "Oh Long Johnson," "Oh Don piano," "Why I eyes ya", and "All the live long day" became an Internet phenomenon in 2006. Footage of this cat, nicknamed Oh Long Johnson from one of the phrases spoken, was featured on America's Funniest Home Videos in 1998, and a longer version of the clip (which revealed the animal was speaking to another cat) was aired in the UK. Clips from this video are prevalent on YouTube. He also featured as a character in "Faith Hilling", the 226th episode of South Park which aired on March 28, 2012.

Tiggy the talking cat at home

• Tiggy the Talking Cat (1990 – June 23, 2010), a feline from Grimsby, England, became an Internet phenomenon in the early 2000s because she was able to make a unique talking-like noise. Tiggy's first TV appearance was in the UK on Channel 4's Richard & Judy where she won the Funny Five competition in 2007. Tiggy went on to appear on CBBC's Chute!, BBC's Lenny Henry.tv, CMT's Country Fried Home Videos, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and various shows on Animal Planet.

• Miles v. City Council of Augusta, Georgia, in which the court found that the exhibition of a talking cat was an occupation for the purposes of municipal licensing law.

Others

• Hoover was a harbor seal who repeated common phrases heard around his exhibit at the New England Aquarium, including his name. He appeared in publications like Reader's Digest and The New Yorker, and television programs like Good Morning America.
• Gef the talking mongoose was an alleged talking animal who inhabited a small house on the Isle of Man, off the coast of Great Britain. Opinion is divided on whether Gef was a poltergeist, a strange animal or cryptid, a hoax, or something else.

• Batyr (1969–1993), an elephant from Kazakhstan, was reported to have a vocabulary of more than 20 phrases. Recordings of Batyr saying "Batyr is good", "Batyr is hungry", and words such as "drink" and "give" were played on Kazakh state radio in 1980.

• Kosik (born 1990) is an elephant able to imitate Korean words.

See also

• Animal cognition
• Animal communication
• Animal language
• Derek Bickerton – Animal Communication Systems researcher
• Human speechome project
• Kinship with All Life – book
• Vocal learning

External links

• Listen to Nature "The Language of Birds" includes article and audio samples of "talking" birds
• New England Aquarium's Hoover page