Hmm?

Keeping their language alive.

Have you ever noticed the wide range of sounds we make with our mouths and vocal chords that are not actual words but convey definite messages? Think about expressions like 'hmph' to denote irony or scorn, 'uff' to express irritation, 'tsk, tsk' the staple of gossipy aunts to say 'what a pity' or 'mchhh' to show annoyance, impatience or frustration. There's also that lovely humming of 'hmm' which can mean agreement, a satisfactory cup of tea or even 'beg your pardon?' if accompanied with a question mark.
As is obvious from the pathetic attempts above, these sounds are hard to spell but we use them quite liberally in our everyday communication. They are very much part of our language.
Interestingly, there are quite a few languages in the world that stand out because of the unique (and sometimes slightly strange) sounds that come out when they are spoken.
The Xhosa language, for example, an official language of South Africa, has a distinctive clicking sound that seems to come from the depths of the throat –almost like the beat of a rap song. When people speak Xhosa, which in itself is quite melodious, there is a click with seemingly each word. Native speakers do it effortlessly but for non-Xhosa speakers it would take quite a lot of practice to even say 'the chicken is done'. To give an idea of just how challenging it could be – 18 of Xhosa's consonants are clicks.
Then there are sounds that seem to be part of many different languages. Take the 'ach' sound as in 'Bach'. While the Germans may think they are the masters of this guttural sound there are close contenders in other parts of the globe – Arabs, Sylhetis, Chittagonians , people who speak 'Archi' (a language spoken in southern Russia) and many more. It may have something to do with the universal tendency to conspicuously clear one's throat of phlegm but let's leave the linguists to ponder on that little nugget.
Some mother tongues are quite simple like Piraha spoken by the Piraha people of Amazonas, Brazil and has only about 10 to 12 sounds. The Taa language of Southern Botswana also known as !Xóõ but the sounds are quite basic to most non Taa speakers. Many words have the sounds 'Kumm', 'Paa' and 'Kaa'.
But the most amazing sounding language has to be the Silbo language of La Gomera, an island off the coast of Spain. Imitating the delightful notes of birds, Silbo involves whistling different notes with varying pitch and volume to say something. La Gomera is predominantly mountainous and people live at long distances from each other. Whistling is the best way to get the message across ravines and narrow valleys. The inhabitants of La Gomera have preserved their ancient whistling language and it is still used to make public announcements – a baptism, a wedding, a birth or a death. It is also used to say something as mundane but crucial as 'I'm on my way darling!'. Vowels and consonants of Silbo are distinguished by the dips and rises in the whistling melody. The whistles, when strung together, form words and sentences. What's more, Silbo is a part of the curriculum at schools and has been included in Unesco's list of world heritage cultural assets, so it will be preserved for future generations. What a wonderful lesson for the rest of the world where thousands of languages are on the brink of extinction!
It is indeed wondrous that while each language, each mother tongue, has its distinctive set of sounds and rhythms, they also have remarkable similarities proving once again, the complex linkages between cultures that have evolved over time.
My daughter has just made that clucking sound to get rid of an itchy throat. It's a cross between a crooning turkey and an agitated chicken. Curiously this technique has been passed down over at least three generations. I have heard my aunts and cousins do it, apparently for the same purpose. But now I'm thinking, it may not be as simple as that – perhaps they are trying to tell us something.
Source: listverse.com and wikipedia