Whistled languages

They're rare, but they do exist. Whistling languages are typical of certain places with characteristics that make close contact between people difficult. One example is very mountainous and rugged places, where people can see each other from afar, but to make direct contact they have to walk quite a distance.

Consequently, to exchange a few words with the guy you see on the other side, you'd have to shout. Instead, in some places, a form of communication based on whistling has developed. Come to think of it, Venice is a place like that, too. It often happens that you see someone you know, only instead of being across the street, they're across the canal, and the nearest bridge is at least 100 meters away, in the opposite direction from where you're going.

Well, this hasn't happened in Venice, but in Mexico, in the northeast of the Oaxaca region, you can hear one of the rare examples of whistling. This language does not replace the spoken language, which is complex because, although they are all part of the same linguistic family, Chinantec, there are at least 14 mutually unintelligible dialects in the area. Whistling, on the other hand, is a form of parallel communication, used when people can see each other but cannot get close due to the mountainous nature of the terrain.

In this video, you can hear an example: it is a cordial conversation between two farmers working on two plots of land. You can also see the written version of the conversation.

Another place where this form of communication has developed is La Gomera, an island in the Canary Islands. Here's a video showing a good example, starting at 5:35.

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