ABSTRACT
MEANINGFUL UTTERANCES As infants - in other words 'young mammals', not yet civilised - we develop, like the higher primates such as chimpanzees, a highly expressive vocabulary of
vocal sounds to communicate our needs. Even with the development of speech, these sounds can remain part of our language for a long time, especially when urgent and immediate vocal communication is required. Every teacher is familiar with the sounds of young children reverting to animal-like cries in play. Screeches, squeals and squawks, like those of parrots or monkeys, come to them more easily and more effectively than speech in moments of teasing and taunting, and release a fuller range of the voice than speech allows. The vocal muscles are exercised by these moments of freedom from speech, and the energetic link with the whole body is renewed.
