Whistling in the Wind: Preserving a Language Without Words

[@javanclarke1431]

It's a shame that languages like this are disappearing. At least some of this one has been recorded on film for all to hear and witness.

[@eolgrillo]

But you can't find much information on the internet about how to speak it.

[@iain3713]

Teruma it’s like a different pronunciation of Spanish

[@mavenfeliciano1710]

@@iain3713 I think Terumaske meant communication of the whistling. The Spanish is retained. Not only in the Canaries, but they are the true ancestors of the West Indies Hispanics, namely Puerto Rico, but also Cuba and Dominican Republic.

[@scoon2117]

They teach it in school there

[@lukehillman7480]

That seems like such a peaceful job.

[@Splox5]

I've thought El Silbo was extremely cool ever since I first read about it. The variety of languages we humans have developed throughout history is very interesting to me, but the uniqueness of El Silbo makes it stand out as something really special.

[@onurgokturk]

the people in the black sea region of Turkey speak a whistle language too. they do it for the same reason, distance. it's an uneven area and the people have been living far from each other for years so they've developed such a way to communicate.

[@ShaudaySmith]

"But i like the animals and the herding. Maybe it's boring, but i grew up here and i like this life." Best ender line. love it.

[@8ievaieva8]

I never knew El silbo existed! WOW! quite sad that it's disappearing :(

[@LOLWAAHH]

Amazing. I really wish this channel had more subscribers. And this video specifically because in this world where everything and everyone are becoming increasingly homogenous in many ways, I can guarantee that there are people out there who would learn this language; maybe just for novelty and possibly even just to be unique, but it carries on the language nonetheless.

[@alphamoonman]

I'd learn it to be unique.

[@crybaybie]

This channel should be getting alot of subscribers!!! The videos are so well produced

[@Shrew-22O1]

This is so cool.. imagine being able to write "I know the whistle language" in ur resume.. 👏🏼👏🏼

[@remembereasily1]

I think R2-D2 speaks el Silbo

[@andrewratto2782]

Who else though of that guy from Guardians of the Galaxy who controlled his dart by whistling?

[@ianbontilao1450]

mary poppins?

[@YaBoiManraj]

You mean Yondu? And he controls a arrow

[@dancegod1691]

Beautiful video.

[@chalkfanatic1848]

Indeed it's beautiful

[@nowandaround312]

What if two people who speak this language are right next to each other? Is there a way to whistle really quietly so they aren't hurting each other's ears? I hope this language is preserved, even though we're moving away from that style of life, this is something special

[@theoriginaltoadnz]

When he said the animals understand El Silbo, i lol'd hard! I briefly pictured all sorts of weird animal-human communication. I dont get nutty laughs like that often but it was great while it lasted.

[@ninjaskater13]

Crazy how this channel can have production quality this high and only have 250k subs

[@ninjaskater13]

Wonder how they afford it

[@ninjaskater13]

***** Ah, makes sense, thanks for the info

[@sangeetakitchencorner1356]

Amazing

[@messeduphina566]

Amazing..

[@EverythingAndAnythingGoes24]

I want to learn this now, but I can't really control the length, duration, or pitch of my whistles.

[@EXPLOSIVEXPLOSION]

Yeah it takes practice

[@torian5995]

I want to clarify that its not a language per se but rather a code to translate phonemes to whistles, you teorically could speak any language with Sylbo. Realistically the more different the phonetic is from spanish the more difficult it is.

[@Justin-ud3kd]

i wish i could be thought this language

[@fireinthehole1986]

This language needs to have an alphabet!!! Right now!

[@1OutOf8Billion]

Damn Yondu would be impressed

[@Beetledoot]

Why can't schools teach us this?

[@nicovaniseghem]

It's funny to see videos of el silbo (the whistle) both from spanish and international television. Americans or british portrait it as a imposible, unique and ancient language, misterious and incomprehensible while the ones made by the spanish television just say like yeah, it was disapearing but then we started teaching it in scholl and by the 3rd week the kids are fluent. Just thought it was funny

[@fireinthehole1986]

You don't study this language, YOU DECIPHER IT!

[@jonlee1714]

*#* *'' WoW Beautifully Amazing lndeed '' !!!!* *@*

[@mr.piggly5884]

It’s like a bird language

[@dkatro548]

Wiiiiiwwww wwwwi wwuuuwuwuwwww wweeeeee Translated: Amazing!😂

[@colino9898]

What type of dog does he have?

[@GrosBonAnge]

It is not a language, and it does not have no words. It is simply Spanish, so it consists of Spanish words just as spoken Spanish. The only thing that is altered is the phonetic manner the words are expressed. The sounds are simply replaced by whistle sounds. But it is not an own language, it is just another way to pronounce Spanish. Of course, that has no implications on how precious it is and the importance of preserving it. I just wanted to point that out because every time somebody reports on this they get it wrong.

[@adamwilliams7241]

GrosBonAnge Actually it is according to Google as language is a method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of the use of words in a structured and conventional way.

[@GrosBonAnge]

Yes, but when you whisper Hungarian, when you scream Chinese, when you sing Latin when you use Signed English they all keep being that particular language, they don't become other languages. Just as this is English and not something else just because we use the modus of writing/reading and not speaking/hearing. Language is defined by the system, not the modus. Whistle languages have no own system, no own words, no own pragmatics, no own syntax etc. El Silbo is just Spanish where the independent phonemes of Spanish are replaced by whistle sounds. Thus, El Silbo is according to Wikipedia: "a whistled register of Spanish".

[@MatthewWaugh]

Actual Canarian philologist here speaking. It IS its own language as it doesn't pass the most basic test: a Spanish speaker cannot, in any way, understand this language without learning it. You are right to point out that it is basically a different method of communicating Spanish, and it is true that a Spanish speaker would have a much easier time learning it, but precisely because it is a different method of communication it still has to be learned, thus being considered a different language. This is called the test of intelligibility. A language similar to Spanish in 95% of its features but unintelligible to Spanish speakers would be considered a different language. This one happens to be artificially made. If you still feel like it is not a language think of sign language. Each language has its own sign version but they are still called sign language right? I hope I made my point clear.

[@GrosBonAnge]

I know, what you are pointing at. But as I said in earlier posts, the difference of the method isn't always crucial enough to define language. For sure, whistling seems distinct enough to consider it a language, because it appears rather exotic. But still, then, our understanding of language would have to change as writing is just another mode of language as well. But still, this is considered English, not a completely own language. I know what you mean by mutual intelligibility. But still, that is not the point here, as an illiterate person couldn't follow this conversation while it still is plain English. The linguistics phrasing of El Silbo is the one I am most fine with: It is a different register of Spanish, a whistled one. And for the sign language mentioning: Sign languages are not signed versions of the national language that happens to be spoken at the same place. Sign languages developed completely independently, though a lot of language contact may have happened, and they are not versions of a spoken language because they have a completely independent and different grammar. There are, however, language registers that use a signed version of a spoken language, like Signed English is not an own sign language but a signed version of English, with English grammar, endings, morphemes etc. Also, in Australia, for example, many languages also have a signed register like the Warlpiri Sign Language which is a signed register of the Warlpiri spoken language. Thus, mutual intelligibility doesn't always define language in my eyes, different modes of languages can be considered registers, not own languages.

[@mr.piggly5884]

Morse code in English is something u have to learn

[@MassDynamic]

wonder if this could be used for military...

[@user-oh6wb5rj2q]

Search El silbon on google

[@justinmileman7863]

Still good to have when your battery dies and you've got no reception anyway

[@Aynomas03]

:)

[@PoPo-zd7qd]

It's so bad that there are more and more people which want to learn klingonian but languages like this are gonna die

[@root-beer]

Limberwisk

[@marmitaa8619]

They basically started following a madman who told them he could whistle a language to animals and somehow brush it off like it's an actual language used by atleast more then 1 person.