Do Animals Have A Language

[Humbleman]

I'm not sure if there is a thread about this somewhere on this forum. But I'm interested in getting some responses now...so amo post this. I believe scientists don't affirm that animals have a language, if I'm correct. It seems to me that they do communicate with each other though. So, what would we refer to their communication as?  :speechless:

[devilishomar]

I do think that they have a language. However, my theory is that every different breed of animal has a different language (e.g. a dog and a lion can't understand each other). However, breeds of the same super-class (like dogs and German Shepards) can understand each other fine.

It's more like our current system. People inside the UK can understand each other, even if they're from different cities (with some exceptions) but they probably can't understand someone from France who speaks in his/her own language (french in this case).

[Firelily99]

They most certainly have a language, otherwise they wouldn't be able to communicate with one another.  Dogs, wolves, and other canines are masters of body language as well, they wouldn't be able to hunt successfully as a pack without tacit signals between one another.

[Astdua]

There is definitely a well established sense of communication between them, which is often more advanced than most of us would give them credit for. Body language is a big one, as well as sounds. I've often thought about this, and obviously members of the same species, especially those who hunt and live in packs, have excellent communication, and it appears that they also have some form of limited communication with other species as well. Cats and dogs understand human body language, and perceive certain body movements as threats and others as being friendly, why is it that a species so different has an understanding of our intentions? It's nature, and it's all connected in a beautiful and complex way which we are just about now beginning to understand.

[True2marie]

From the research I've read, dolphins and monkeys communicate with each other. They have specific sounds and movements that signify emotions and thoughts to one another. Scientists have not unraveled all of the details, but they are quite sure these species possess a language unique to them.  :nerd:

[lovemwaf]

I think that animals do have a language, but i would say that it is not as advanced as ours. It is more to do with body language and pretty much basic communication skills. If they did speak in depth and in detail then i would think that they would somehow become civilized and not so much animal in a sense.

[Trellum]

They surely have a language, but it's way more primitive than ours.  I really think they can communicate with each other as clearly as we do with other humans who speak our own language.  We just can't understand them because we are unable to understand their language   It's just an assumption tho.  I have noticed when my dog hears other dogs howling he feels the urge to answer back. 

I could be wrong, but I believe he is communicating with those dogs.  Sometimes I've seen how a dog is in trouble and then he howls or bark and his doggie buddies seem to be showing up from no where to the resuce, lol.  It could be just a coincidence tho.

[Daimashin]

I believe so. Animals like dolphins and whales are known to communicate with each other through sonar. I believe that these kind of communication is a language of its own in the animal kingdom. Even cats and dogs are talking with each other when they meow or bark.

[pandandesign]

I do think animals have their own language in which many of us don't understand. They have their ways to communicate with other animals because they are live ones, which every single living organism has their own kind of language. I think they communicate through vision the most, but that's what I have learned that some of them communicate through hearing.

[Denis Hard]

I think we should draw a line somewhere. Communication involves more than language. If for example someone winks at you, they'd have communicated without using any known verbal language, right? So, IMO, animals do communicate but their mode of communication is different. It can be understood by the rest to mean something. For example, bees don't have any language, do they? But when they find nectar or whatever by 'dancing' they're able to pin-point to the rest of the swarm where the nectar can be found. Sorry for going off-topic but getting back to the discussion. . .

Take a look at this interesting article about how animals communicate with each other.

http://animal.discovery.com/animal-facts/animals-communicate.htm

[sidney]

I think animals do have their own language, but they are limited to sounds and grunts like "meow" or "arf". I think they mainly communicate and understand each other by the variation of their tone when they say "meow" or "arf", so they are tone-dependent rather than word-dependent when they communicate with each other.

[brothainarms]

I definitely agree with the general consensus here.  Animals most definitely are able to communicate well, otherwise they wouldn't be able to survive.  Humans no doubt did this as well before they developed language.

[Peninha]

I think animals can communicate, if we can call that a language or not it is highly debatable. For us to know if animals have a language we would have to speak it right? I personally think they can communicate well, but they do not have a language, that is exclusive of humans as the only rational animal that exist.

[Rosa]

I think that anilmals do have a language. I'm not sure how to say this but I think it would be more of a body language type of thing or them reading each others emotions. How ever it is done I believe they do have a language otherwise how would they communicate. Just don't have a name for it.

[andre-nunes]

I think it depends on the definition of language... are they able to communicate with each other? I think so... dogs are very smart and are able to relate human sounds to actions. Maybe they have an innate language to speak to each other, do you think dogs have different accents?  :grin:

[xxxxxx]

Animals like human had their own language for communication and interaction for each other. They had their own intuition wherein they can read each others mind as to what they are trying to express or say within themselves.

[Peninha]

I think it depends on the definition of language... are they able to communicate with each other? I think so... dogs are very smart and are able to relate human sounds to actions. Maybe they have an innate language to speak to each other, do you think dogs have different accents?  :grin:

The definition of language refers a human capacity lol, therefore animals cannot have a language, but this is a concept, there is no doubt animals can communicate, so they don't really have the need for an alphabet or something so complex as we humans do need.

[lizbeth19hph]

I believe animals do have a language of their own and only them can understand it. They maybe using sound codes to be able to convey messages to each other or to spread message to others of their kind.

[justusforus]

I don't think you can distinguish between a standardized mode of communication and a languange.  Birds fly in formation and somehow communicate to others in the flock.  If you think about bees and their ability to fashion complex honeycombs in unison with others, there seems that there must be a way they communicate with their coworkers and the Queen for that matter.  Some of the higher primates and dolphins have been shown to have intellect to effectuate some higher forms of communication so I think its entirely plausible to label it as a form of language.

[invictus]

There is definitely different types of languages among animals as there are with humans. Through sounds and movement, I truly believe that animals can be considered much better communicators than humans. Despite the fact that we have an incredible amount of words and structures to put these words in, I think that we often times confuse ourselves with spoken language. Spoken language gets us into trouble sometimes. If we gathered knowledge from the way animals take cues from each other, we could improve.

[gocek]

I don't think they have a language in the sense that we do. I think they have scents, sounds and body languages a means of communication. They don't speak certain sound combinations to get their point across to each other, rather they use their whole being to get messages across.

[littlebelgianwriter]

Yes, I also am convinced that animals have languages and use some form of language in order to communicate with each other.

My cats for instance are very communicative.

When I first had them I thought that meow was nothing more than meow.

However, there are many kinds of meowing that cats use on different occasions and for different purposes.

Some people have tried to list the different sounds cat make and when I observe my cats I am certain that they have developed some sort of language that they use in order to communicate.

Has anyone here tried to learn or understand the language used by their pets?

[marmunmrhundun]

I have always thought that some animals have forms of communication, however I am not sure if it is always a language or what. I am pretty sure most animals have a form of communicating with their kind.

[Channa]

I'm not sure if there is a thread about this somewhere on this forum. But I'm interested in getting some responses now...so amo post this. I believe scientists don't affirm that animals have a language, if I'm correct. It seems to me that they do communicate with each other though. So, what would we refer to their communication as?  :speechless:

Well they have there own ways of communication. Lets use a Dog, well whenever they don't like you they well growl at you. When its mating season they have a unique scent to signal there mate. :grin:

[Lacey]

I don't know if they actually have a language that could be interpreted like a human's language, but I believe that they communicate with sounds and body language and actions.