some animals have specific "danger" calls (blue jays, f'rinstance),
Hmmmm, Can we call a "cry" a word? My dog growls when she apprehends a danger and shows her teeth.
In music it is believed by many that drum beats (or rhythm) was the first music.
Now, following this along -- is the "cry" of an animal the precursor of speach or a word in and by itself?
Startled by a person coming up behind me unexpectedly, I might scream or squawk or gasp. Are these cries words?
From viewing PBS and National Geographic specials on TV I've learned that many believe the Great Apes have a language that manifests as varying grunts, squawk and screeches. Words-?- even though they understand the meaning among themselves?
Or are the "cries" all merely signals of a state of mind, a basic communication-without-words as we apprehend words to be?
Then there is Koko the ape who has apparently learned sign language! If this is proved for sure and she teaches an offspring to sign we may have proof of the intellligence of the Great Apes at work.
Or is it just a difference in vocal chords that allowed humans to develop words for things -- a language?
And someday will the vocal chords of beings similar to humans be altered - surgically or genetically - to give them the ability to speak words?
And what will they say to us?
(/musings )
