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The animals seem to respond more actively to calls that include their "name."
Lots of animals communicate with each other, from tiny mice to enormous whales. But none of those forms of communication share all but a small fraction of the richness of human language. Still, finding new examples of complex communications can tell us things about the evolution of language and what cognitive capabilities are needed for it.
On Monday, researchers report what may be the first instance of a human-like language ability in another species. They report that elephants refer to each other by individual names, and the elephant being referred to recognizes when it's being mentioned. The work could be replicated with a larger population and number of calls, but the finding is consistent with what we know about the sophisticated social interactions of these creatures.
  • What’s in a name?
  • Are you talking to me?
  • Are these really names?
I hadn't thought about this before, but it makes perfect sense.
Many animals clearly learn the names that we give them, so why wouldn't they also learn to associate different sounds from each other with their identity?
I wonder if dogs have names for us. Are their barks and whines individualized for whoever their trying to talk to?
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I wonder if dogs have names for us.
😂 Maybe. Imagination is the limit!
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I just read this article briefly on FB!
Which of the four names do the Portuguese typically use to address each other?
Also, Thai people will confer nicknames on each other. Some plus-sized people could well be called Elephant as an affectionate term.
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Nicknames are also very common in Portugal, and some people are only known by their nicknames. I'm not sure if this is the type of name you're referring to, but I can't say for sure which ones are the most common. However, I can tell you that nicknames are usually based on something that happened to the person, or sometimes on their physical appearance. As a general rule, we only use nicknames if we know the person well.
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Did you know that in Portugal, people typically have four names (e.g., João Pedro Silva Teixeira). However, the first two names are mandatory (e.g., João Teixeira) and must be chosen from a list of 4000 female names and 4000 male names. The last two can be whatever you like.
Sorry for being unclear! I meant the above 👆🏽
Nonetheless, it’s cool to know that nicknames are a common thing for the Portuguese too
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I don't know about it. Is it a myth or fact? I believe only an expert tell us the truth.
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