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Monkeys With Syntax

Posted by kdawson on from the there's-a-word-for-that dept.

jamie writes "The Campbell's monkey has a vocabulary with at least six types of basic call, but new research published in the PNAS claims that they combine them and string them together to communicate new meanings. (Login may be required on the NY Times site.) For example, the word for 'leopard' gets an '-oo' suffix to mean 'unseen predator.' But when that word is repeated after 'come over here,' the combination means 'Timber!' — a warning of falling trees. Scientists have known for some time that vervet monkeys have different warning calls for different predators — eagle, leopard, and snake — but unlike the Campbell's monkeys, vervets don't combine those calls to create new meanings, a key component of syntax. The researchers plan to play back recordings to the monkeys to test their theories for syntax errors."

9 of 197 comments (clear)

  1. Monkey syntax errors aren't so bad by istartedi · · Score: 5, Funny

    But when they throw "exceptions", look out!

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    For all intensive purposes, "whom" is no longer a word. That begs the question, "who cares"?
    1. Re:Monkey syntax errors aren't so bad by Cryacin · · Score: 5, Funny

      I pity the object that catches that.

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      Science advances one funeral at a time- Max Planck
    2. Re:Monkey syntax errors aren't so bad by von_rick · · Score: 5, Funny

      Monkeys have an amazing ability to fling core dumps.

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      Face your daemons!

  2. Re:It was the blurst of times. by Vombatus · · Score: 5, Funny

    Get enough of them together and it will be like watching a Shakespeare play

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    This sig is intentionally blank
  3. Monkey version of Timber by Kebis · · Score: 5, Funny

    The monkey version of "Timber!" is “Boom boom krak-oo krak-oo krak-oo". So, in monkey it's 8 sylables, and in English it's 2. No wonder humans became the dominant species, we had more time to get out of the way after the falling tree warning.

    1. Re:Monkey version of Timber by koxkoxkox · · Score: 5, Funny

      "If English was good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for Texas"

  4. PNAS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Haha, they said PNAS.

  5. Careful by PPH · · Score: 5, Funny

    Violate Strunk and White just once and they'll fling shit at you.

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    Have gnu, will travel.
  6. Re:I second that... by dziban303 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Okay, okay, you're both linguists. But are you cunning?