NEWSCIENTIST INSTANT EXPERT

摘要

Linguists define language as any system which allows the free and unfettered expression of thoughts into signals, and the complementary interpretation of such signals back into thoughts. This sets human language apart from all other animal communication systems, which can express just a limited set of signals. A dog's barks, for example, may provide important information about the dog (how large or excited it is) or the outside world (that an intruder is present), but the dog cannot relate the story of its puppyhood, or express the route of its daily walk. For all its uniqueness, human language does share certain traits with many animal communication systems. A vervet monkey, for example, produces different calls according to the predators it encounters.