Czy zwierzęta mają język?

Barbara Rode Uniwersytet WarszawskiWydział Polonistyki Abstract Do animals use language? The belief that only humans use language has dominated in science for years. Linguists are especially sensitive to the notion that animals can use or create language. They argue that all species other than human can communicate but they do not use language, as it is reserved for people only. It is important to notice that animal psychology is a new and still far underdeveloped scientific field. More and more studies are revealing that animals can and do think, feel and communicate in a meaningful way. Recently, new studies have supported the hypothesis that some animals do use language. The communication systems that they use have all or most of the characteristics of a language. Con Slobodchikoff has shown that prairie dogs have grammar, can create language and use dialects in their communication with one another. Their pups learn their language in a similar way as human babies do. This article is meant to question the notion that animals do not use and create language. Keywords:animal language, animal communication, animal talk, animal linguistics, zoosemiotics