lingue fischiate cosa sono

What are the torn languages ​​and how do they work?

The whistled languages, or whistled languages, they are forms of communication For us outside the ordinary who combine thehuman ability to model the sound through whistles or similar sounds with needs dictated by specific environments or cultures of belonging. These languages, for their nature, manage to overcome natural barriers such as mountains, forests or valleys, and offer a unique starting point to understand how humans have adapted their way of communicating to practical needs. The whistled languages ​​are distinguished in tonals and non -tonals and are typical of specific peoples from all over the world (at least 70), from Europe to Asia, from Africa to South America.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l117wfb0g3o

How do the whistled languages ​​work?

The whistled languages they are not independent idiomsbut one sound transposition of an existing language. At least 70 human groups they are known to make use of this type of communication, widespread mainly in mountainous areas or dense forests. In such contexts, the whistles allow the transmission of messages long distance. Usually, this communicative mode is used by shepherds. The whistled sounds are used to simulate the speech by modulating the tone, intensity, duration and even the frequency of the whistles. It stands out between:

  • Tonal languages: In languages ​​such as Chinese or Yoruba, where the meaning of words depends on the intonation, the whistled languages ​​maintain the fundamental tones of the original language. For example, tone changes in the whistles faithfully reproduce the tonal variations of the speech.
  • Non -tonal languages: In languages ​​such as Turkish or Spanish, the whistles mainly represent the rhythm and sequence of the syllables. Here, the height and duration of the sound indicate consonants and vocals.

Thanks to the capacity of the whistles to propagate effectively in open spaces, these languages ​​can cover distances between 2 and 10 kilometersmuch more than the human voice can do.

Examples of languages ​​whistled in the world

Silbo Gomero (Canary Islands, Spain): this system is a whistle transposition of the Spanish language and is mainly used by the shepherds of La Gomera for communicate through the deep burners of the island. The Silbo Gomero was introduced in schools to preserve it and is currently an immaterial heritage of UNESCO humanity.

  • Kuş Dili (Türkiye): literally “bird language“, It is used in the village of Kuşköy and in the surrounding area. It is a whistled shape of the Turkish, used to communicate among the valleys of the regions of the Black Sea.
  • Sfyria (Greece): spoken in the village of Antià, on the island of èvia, this language is today a risk of extinction. It is said that she was used by shepherds to coordinate and transmit messages without being heard by enemies.
  • Pirahã (Amazon, Brazil): The Pirahã, an indigenous group of the Amazon, use a whistle shape of their language to communicate during hunting or through the dense vegetation of the rainforest.
  • Mazateco whistle (Mexico): The Mazateco people, in the state of Oaxaca, uses a whistled version of their language to communicate during agricultural work or in religious ceremonies. This system is based on shades and rhythms of the spoken Mazate language.
  • Bearnese (France): in the Pyrenees region, shepherds and farmers use a tongue whistled to communicate on long distances. Although less common today, it is still practiced in some remote areas.

Curiosity about whistled languages

The whistled languages ​​are not limited to simple messages, but they can convey articulated conversationsincluding questions, answers and detailed stories. Some whistled systems they adapted to multiple languages. For example, the Silbo Gomero has evolved with the transition from gloves (the ancient Aboriginal language of the Canaries) to Spanish. It is also taught in local schools with practical courses that include simulations of real situations. Students learn to distinguish sounds and reproduce whistled words.

In many cultures, whistled languages ​​are associated with birds. This connection led to a poetic perception of the whistle as “language of nature”. In some regions, however, they are used as tourist attractions. TO The Gomeratourist guides demonstrate the Silbo Gomero for visitors, sensitizing the importance of its preservation.

Linguists and scientists also study whistled languages. especially to better understand the functioning of the human brain. Studies show that listening and understanding a whistled language activates the same areas of the brain used for spoken languages. Although we said that some of these languages ​​are at risk of extinction, there is a positive fact: some whistled languages ​​are finding a new life thanks to social media and at educational platformswhich promote knowledge globally.