☀️ JOIN SPN MOBILE
Forums
New posts
Guru Granth Sahib
Composition, Arrangement & Layout
ਜਪੁ | Jup
ਸੋ ਦਰੁ | So Dar
ਸੋਹਿਲਾ | Sohilaa
ਰਾਗੁ ਸਿਰੀਰਾਗੁ | Raag Siree-Raag
Gurbani (14-53)
Ashtpadiyan (53-71)
Gurbani (71-74)
Pahre (74-78)
Chhant (78-81)
Vanjara (81-82)
Vaar Siri Raag (83-91)
Bhagat Bani (91-93)
ਰਾਗੁ ਮਾਝ | Raag Maajh
Gurbani (94-109)
Ashtpadi (109)
Ashtpadiyan (110-129)
Ashtpadi (129-130)
Ashtpadiyan (130-133)
Bara Maha (133-136)
Din Raen (136-137)
Vaar Maajh Ki (137-150)
ਰਾਗੁ ਗਉੜੀ | Raag Gauree
Gurbani (151-185)
Quartets/Couplets (185-220)
Ashtpadiyan (220-234)
Karhalei (234-235)
Ashtpadiyan (235-242)
Chhant (242-249)
Baavan Akhari (250-262)
Sukhmani (262-296)
Thittee (296-300)
Gauree kii Vaar (300-323)
Gurbani (323-330)
Ashtpadiyan (330-340)
Baavan Akhari (340-343)
Thintteen (343-344)
Vaar Kabir (344-345)
Bhagat Bani (345-346)
ਰਾਗੁ ਆਸਾ | Raag Aasaa
Gurbani (347-348)
Chaupaday (348-364)
Panchpadde (364-365)
Kaafee (365-409)
Aasaavaree (409-411)
Ashtpadiyan (411-432)
Patee (432-435)
Chhant (435-462)
Vaar Aasaa (462-475)
Bhagat Bani (475-488)
ਰਾਗੁ ਗੂਜਰੀ | Raag Goojaree
Gurbani (489-503)
Ashtpadiyan (503-508)
Vaar Gujari (508-517)
Vaar Gujari (517-526)
ਰਾਗੁ ਦੇਵਗੰਧਾਰੀ | Raag Dayv-Gandhaaree
Gurbani (527-536)
ਰਾਗੁ ਬਿਹਾਗੜਾ | Raag Bihaagraa
Gurbani (537-556)
Chhant (538-548)
Vaar Bihaagraa (548-556)
ਰਾਗੁ ਵਡਹੰਸ | Raag Wadhans
Gurbani (557-564)
Ashtpadiyan (564-565)
Chhant (565-575)
Ghoriaan (575-578)
Alaahaniiaa (578-582)
Vaar Wadhans (582-594)
ਰਾਗੁ ਸੋਰਠਿ | Raag Sorath
Gurbani (595-634)
Asatpadhiya (634-642)
Vaar Sorath (642-659)
ਰਾਗੁ ਧਨਾਸਰੀ | Raag Dhanasaree
Gurbani (660-685)
Astpadhiya (685-687)
Chhant (687-691)
Bhagat Bani (691-695)
ਰਾਗੁ ਜੈਤਸਰੀ | Raag Jaitsree
Gurbani (696-703)
Chhant (703-705)
Vaar Jaitsaree (705-710)
Bhagat Bani (710)
ਰਾਗੁ ਟੋਡੀ | Raag Todee
ਰਾਗੁ ਬੈਰਾੜੀ | Raag Bairaaree
ਰਾਗੁ ਤਿਲੰਗ | Raag Tilang
Gurbani (721-727)
Bhagat Bani (727)
ਰਾਗੁ ਸੂਹੀ | Raag Suhi
Gurbani (728-750)
Ashtpadiyan (750-761)
Kaafee (761-762)
Suchajee (762)
Gunvantee (763)
Chhant (763-785)
Vaar Soohee (785-792)
Bhagat Bani (792-794)
ਰਾਗੁ ਬਿਲਾਵਲੁ | Raag Bilaaval
Gurbani (795-831)
Ashtpadiyan (831-838)
Thitteen (838-840)
Vaar Sat (841-843)
Chhant (843-848)
Vaar Bilaaval (849-855)
Bhagat Bani (855-858)
ਰਾਗੁ ਗੋਂਡ | Raag Gond
Gurbani (859-869)
Ashtpadiyan (869)
Bhagat Bani (870-875)
ਰਾਗੁ ਰਾਮਕਲੀ | Raag Ramkalee
Ashtpadiyan (902-916)
Gurbani (876-902)
Anand (917-922)
Sadd (923-924)
Chhant (924-929)
Dakhnee (929-938)
Sidh Gosat (938-946)
Vaar Ramkalee (947-968)
ਰਾਗੁ ਨਟ ਨਾਰਾਇਨ | Raag Nat Narayan
Gurbani (975-980)
Ashtpadiyan (980-983)
ਰਾਗੁ ਮਾਲੀ ਗਉੜਾ | Raag Maalee Gauraa
Gurbani (984-988)
Bhagat Bani (988)
ਰਾਗੁ ਮਾਰੂ | Raag Maaroo
Gurbani (889-1008)
Ashtpadiyan (1008-1014)
Kaafee (1014-1016)
Ashtpadiyan (1016-1019)
Anjulian (1019-1020)
Solhe (1020-1033)
Dakhni (1033-1043)
ਰਾਗੁ ਤੁਖਾਰੀ | Raag Tukhaari
Bara Maha (1107-1110)
Chhant (1110-1117)
ਰਾਗੁ ਕੇਦਾਰਾ | Raag Kedara
Gurbani (1118-1123)
Bhagat Bani (1123-1124)
ਰਾਗੁ ਭੈਰਉ | Raag Bhairo
Gurbani (1125-1152)
Partaal (1153)
Ashtpadiyan (1153-1167)
ਰਾਗੁ ਬਸੰਤੁ | Raag Basant
Gurbani (1168-1187)
Ashtpadiyan (1187-1193)
Vaar Basant (1193-1196)
ਰਾਗੁ ਸਾਰਗ | Raag Saarag
Gurbani (1197-1200)
Partaal (1200-1231)
Ashtpadiyan (1232-1236)
Chhant (1236-1237)
Vaar Saarang (1237-1253)
ਰਾਗੁ ਮਲਾਰ | Raag Malaar
Gurbani (1254-1293)
Partaal (1265-1273)
Ashtpadiyan (1273-1278)
Chhant (1278)
Vaar Malaar (1278-91)
Bhagat Bani (1292-93)
ਰਾਗੁ ਕਾਨੜਾ | Raag Kaanraa
Gurbani (1294-96)
Partaal (1296-1318)
Ashtpadiyan (1308-1312)
Chhant (1312)
Vaar Kaanraa
Bhagat Bani (1318)
ਰਾਗੁ ਕਲਿਆਨ | Raag Kalyaan
Gurbani (1319-23)
Ashtpadiyan (1323-26)
ਰਾਗੁ ਪ੍ਰਭਾਤੀ | Raag Prabhaatee
Gurbani (1327-1341)
Ashtpadiyan (1342-51)
ਰਾਗੁ ਜੈਜਾਵੰਤੀ | Raag Jaijaiwanti
Gurbani (1352-53)
Salok | Gatha | Phunahe | Chaubole | Swayiye
Sehskritee Mahala 1
Sehskritee Mahala 5
Gaathaa Mahala 5
Phunhay Mahala 5
Chaubolae Mahala 5
Shaloks Bhagat Kabir
Shaloks Sheikh Farid
Swaiyyae Mahala 5
Swaiyyae in Praise of Gurus
Shaloks in Addition To Vaars
Shalok Ninth Mehl
Mundavanee Mehl 5
ਰਾਗ ਮਾਲਾ, Raag Maalaa
What's new
New posts
New media
New media comments
New resources
Latest activity
Videos
New media
New comments
Library
Latest reviews
Donate
Log in
Register
What's new
New posts
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Welcome to all New Sikh Philosophy Network Forums!
Explore Sikh Sikhi Sikhism...
Sign up
Log in
Discussions
Hard Talk
Interviews
Silbo Gomero: Ancient Whistling Language Revived
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="spnadmin" data-source="post: 178321" data-attributes="member: 35"><p>Silbo gomero: A whistling language revived</p><p>By Laura Plitt</p><p></p><p><strong>See Video too</strong> <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20953138" target="_blank">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20953138</a></p><p></p><p>On a Spanish island, an ancient whistling language that once seemed to be dying out is now undergoing a revival.</p><p></p><p>The night has not yet fallen in La Gomera, one of the smallest Canary Islands.</p><p></p><p>From the top of the hill I can see, scattered in the distance, a few old houses. To my right, a row of black trees is a stark reminder of the fires that struck this Spanish island off the coast of Morocco last summer.</p><p></p><p>I close my eyes to avoid being distracted by the landscape and make an effort to hear. I'm trying to discern, among the echo of the wind and the noise from the cars that from time to time drive along the road, the sounds of silbo gomero or Gomeran whistle, an ancient language the locals have assured me is still in use.</p><p></p><p>This method of communication, in which the Spanish language is replaced by two whistled vowels and four consonants, has a peculiarity perfectly suited to this landscape of deep valleys and steep ravines. It has the ability to travel up to two miles (3.2km), much further and with less effort than shouting.</p><p></p><p></p><p>There are no certainties about its origins. It is known that when the first European settlers arrived at La Gomera in the 15th Century, the inhabitants of the island - of North African origin - communicated with whistles.</p><p></p><p>These whistles reproduced the indigenous language. With the arrival of the Spanish, the locals adapted the whistling language to Spanish.</p><p></p><p>So the most likely theory is that the whistle came with the settlers from Africa, where there are records of other whistled languages.</p><p></p><p>Some locals recall its widespread use in the 1940s and 50s.</p><p></p><p>"In the old days, when the mountain caught fire, something that happens quite frequently in the island, the Guardia Civil came to pick us up," says Lino Rodriguez, an old whistler with a cracked smoking voice.</p><p></p><p></p><p>"And no matter what we were doing, they put us in a truck and drove us to put out the fire.</p><p></p><p>"So, to avoid them, we passed a message between us whistling: 'You have to hide, the Guardia Civil is coming!' And because they didn't whistle, they didn't understand what we were saying and couldn't find us."</p><p></p><p>The council and the mayors were paid to put out the fires but would not pay any locals who helped, he explains.</p><p></p><p>"The thing is that here, learning to whistle wasn't a matter of pleasure. It was an obligation, a necessity. If you didn't know how to do it, you would have to walk to give a message. And as the houses are far from each other, and there were no roads or phones, whistling was easier than walking," he says.</p><p></p><p>Whistling began to decline in the 1950s, when economic difficulties forced most of the whistlers to emigrate, mainly to neighbouring Tenerife and Venezuela. The growing road network and later, the development of the mobile phone, deprived silbo of its practical function.</p><p></p><p></p><p>By the 1970s and 80s, there were only a few whistlers remaining, but at the end of the 90s there was renewed interest in silbo, in part due to an initiative to make it a compulsory subject at primary school.</p><p></p><p>This came about, says Juan Carlos Hernandez Marrero, a researcher from the Archaeological Museum of La Gomera, despite it being largely "reviled" by the vast majority of inhabitants who viewed it as "something from peasants".</p><p></p><p>However, I must admit that after travelling for hours around this volcanic island whose landscape and climate changes at every corner, I still found no traces of silbo gomero.</p><p></p><p>That is because silbo is mostly heard in schools and in restaurants that provide whistling demonstrations for tourists.</p><p></p><p>For Fernando Mendez, minister of tourism of La Gomera, whistling is crucial to the island's tourism industry.</p><p></p><p>Archaeologist Hernandez Marrero agrees that preservation is important, because it defines the identity of the Gomerans. But he fears that it risks becoming a cliche, like the flower necklaces given to tourists in Hawaii.</p><p></p><p>"I think we need to talk to the people who are still alive and know a lot about silbo. It's necessary to reflect in depth on what do we want the silbo for. We know a lot from a linguistic perspective, but very little about its history," he says.</p><p></p><p>It is known, for example, that the Gomera whistle co-exists with other whistling languages in the world - on the Greek island of Evia, in the town of Kuskoy, eastern Turkey, and in a town of the French Pyrenees.</p><p></p><p>But the whistling language of La Gomera is the only one that has been studied in depth and is used by the largest community of speakers, and probably the only one that is learned in school as a subject.</p><p></p><p>"Silbo is interesting from the point of view of the theory of language because, since it is a very simple system, it can help us understand how languages in general are formed," he says.</p><p></p><p>There are fears that public spending cuts in Spain will affect the teaching of silbo at schools, one of the few places nowadays where children learn to whistle.</p><p></p><p>And the recognition and prestige that the whistle has gained in recent decades has had unforeseen consequences.</p><p></p><p>Many whistlers now compete for the attention of tourists, and some have even fallen out with each other and are no longer on speaking terms.</p><p></p><p>But it is also true that there are many whistlers in the island willing to share their stories with anyone who wants to listen.</p><p></p><p>I found one of them in the town of Chipude, one of the highest areas of the island.</p><p></p><p>At 39 years old, Isidro is one of the few young people who learned silbo gomero directly from his parent. Cyro, as his friends call him, can be seen whistling in the mountain, calling his goats.</p><p></p><p>"They recognise my whistle, as they recognise my voice," he says proudly. He is the only one from his family who remained in La Gomera, the rest having left to seek work in Tenerife.</p><p></p><p>"After being there for eight years, I decided to come back. I never got used to life there. I like being in nature, I like my animals and my whistle. And here I'll stay, because the island needs me."</p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Other whistled languages</strong></p><p></p><p></p><p>There are other whistling communities in Greece, Turkey, Mexico and parts of Africa</p><p>The Shona language in Zimbabwe and Zambia includes some whistling sounds</p><p>Between humans, it is often practised in areas that are very remote or mountainous</p><p>Whistling to animals, by shepherds, is much more common</p><p>And don't forget the droids... Star Wars robot R2-D2 (above) whistled to other robots</p><p>So for some silbo is a source of income, others understand it as a defining feature of their identity and for academics like Marcial Morera, a linguist at the University of La Laguna, it has another use.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="spnadmin, post: 178321, member: 35"] Silbo gomero: A whistling language revived By Laura Plitt [B]See Video too[/B] [url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20953138[/url] On a Spanish island, an ancient whistling language that once seemed to be dying out is now undergoing a revival. The night has not yet fallen in La Gomera, one of the smallest Canary Islands. From the top of the hill I can see, scattered in the distance, a few old houses. To my right, a row of black trees is a stark reminder of the fires that struck this Spanish island off the coast of Morocco last summer. I close my eyes to avoid being distracted by the landscape and make an effort to hear. I'm trying to discern, among the echo of the wind and the noise from the cars that from time to time drive along the road, the sounds of silbo gomero or Gomeran whistle, an ancient language the locals have assured me is still in use. This method of communication, in which the Spanish language is replaced by two whistled vowels and four consonants, has a peculiarity perfectly suited to this landscape of deep valleys and steep ravines. It has the ability to travel up to two miles (3.2km), much further and with less effort than shouting. There are no certainties about its origins. It is known that when the first European settlers arrived at La Gomera in the 15th Century, the inhabitants of the island - of North African origin - communicated with whistles. These whistles reproduced the indigenous language. With the arrival of the Spanish, the locals adapted the whistling language to Spanish. So the most likely theory is that the whistle came with the settlers from Africa, where there are records of other whistled languages. Some locals recall its widespread use in the 1940s and 50s. "In the old days, when the mountain caught fire, something that happens quite frequently in the island, the Guardia Civil came to pick us up," says Lino Rodriguez, an old whistler with a cracked smoking voice. "And no matter what we were doing, they put us in a truck and drove us to put out the fire. "So, to avoid them, we passed a message between us whistling: 'You have to hide, the Guardia Civil is coming!' And because they didn't whistle, they didn't understand what we were saying and couldn't find us." The council and the mayors were paid to put out the fires but would not pay any locals who helped, he explains. "The thing is that here, learning to whistle wasn't a matter of pleasure. It was an obligation, a necessity. If you didn't know how to do it, you would have to walk to give a message. And as the houses are far from each other, and there were no roads or phones, whistling was easier than walking," he says. Whistling began to decline in the 1950s, when economic difficulties forced most of the whistlers to emigrate, mainly to neighbouring Tenerife and Venezuela. The growing road network and later, the development of the mobile phone, deprived silbo of its practical function. By the 1970s and 80s, there were only a few whistlers remaining, but at the end of the 90s there was renewed interest in silbo, in part due to an initiative to make it a compulsory subject at primary school. This came about, says Juan Carlos Hernandez Marrero, a researcher from the Archaeological Museum of La Gomera, despite it being largely "reviled" by the vast majority of inhabitants who viewed it as "something from peasants". However, I must admit that after travelling for hours around this volcanic island whose landscape and climate changes at every corner, I still found no traces of silbo gomero. That is because silbo is mostly heard in schools and in restaurants that provide whistling demonstrations for tourists. For Fernando Mendez, minister of tourism of La Gomera, whistling is crucial to the island's tourism industry. Archaeologist Hernandez Marrero agrees that preservation is important, because it defines the identity of the Gomerans. But he fears that it risks becoming a cliche, like the flower necklaces given to tourists in Hawaii. "I think we need to talk to the people who are still alive and know a lot about silbo. It's necessary to reflect in depth on what do we want the silbo for. We know a lot from a linguistic perspective, but very little about its history," he says. It is known, for example, that the Gomera whistle co-exists with other whistling languages in the world - on the Greek island of Evia, in the town of Kuskoy, eastern Turkey, and in a town of the French Pyrenees. But the whistling language of La Gomera is the only one that has been studied in depth and is used by the largest community of speakers, and probably the only one that is learned in school as a subject. "Silbo is interesting from the point of view of the theory of language because, since it is a very simple system, it can help us understand how languages in general are formed," he says. There are fears that public spending cuts in Spain will affect the teaching of silbo at schools, one of the few places nowadays where children learn to whistle. And the recognition and prestige that the whistle has gained in recent decades has had unforeseen consequences. Many whistlers now compete for the attention of tourists, and some have even fallen out with each other and are no longer on speaking terms. But it is also true that there are many whistlers in the island willing to share their stories with anyone who wants to listen. I found one of them in the town of Chipude, one of the highest areas of the island. At 39 years old, Isidro is one of the few young people who learned silbo gomero directly from his parent. Cyro, as his friends call him, can be seen whistling in the mountain, calling his goats. "They recognise my whistle, as they recognise my voice," he says proudly. He is the only one from his family who remained in La Gomera, the rest having left to seek work in Tenerife. "After being there for eight years, I decided to come back. I never got used to life there. I like being in nature, I like my animals and my whistle. And here I'll stay, because the island needs me." [B] Other whistled languages[/B] There are other whistling communities in Greece, Turkey, Mexico and parts of Africa The Shona language in Zimbabwe and Zambia includes some whistling sounds Between humans, it is often practised in areas that are very remote or mountainous Whistling to animals, by shepherds, is much more common And don't forget the droids... Star Wars robot R2-D2 (above) whistled to other robots So for some silbo is a source of income, others understand it as a defining feature of their identity and for academics like Marcial Morera, a linguist at the University of La Laguna, it has another use. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Discussions
Hard Talk
Interviews
Silbo Gomero: Ancient Whistling Language Revived
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
Accept
Learn more…
Top