N
nomadologist
Guest
You might try Hockett as the classic reference. He has something to say about differences between human and other communication systems. He proposes some properties of various communciation systems. an example (that incidentally dog `language' seems to lack): displacement, the property of being able to `talk' about objects distant in time or space.
Yeah, so what? I learn to walk much like a cow does but that doesn't mean I have four legs. The same learning system doesn't imply the same content.
Sure, there are differences in our communication systems, but I don't think that precludes other animals from having "languages" of their own.
If birds acquire their system of sound communications like humans, and use it to communicate in the world and survive just like humans do our language, then what is the categorical difference?