What would a furry sound like?

[Plutonium]

In fiction we can get away with it, furries sound like us. In real life I think this would be an odd predicament for furries if they where trying to sound human or speak our languages. The structure of the human face was an evolutionary adaptation for talking amongst other reasons, our languages are build around the human jaw, cheek, and teeth structure. A furry creature in real life if one popped into existence could probably work biologically but the structure of a furries mouth being that of an animals would probably make them incomprehensible without their own language built around their mouth structure.

I guess you can say that in fiction its a case of translation convention when we hear them or perhaps they could pull it off a little, birds are able to talk quite clearly at times in English and other languages with beaks and no teeth. I guess its kind of a buzz kill though when thinking about what it would be like in reality.

[Foxxhoria]

I'm inventing a language with anthros in mind
And it's a real language too, and while I may have copped out with some things (like the use of lips) I feel it's kinda more suitable/attempting to be suitable for these kinds of creatures...or at least mine

[Kobuk]

http://trickster.wereanimal.net/Primal/

[Arbutus]

This is a really fascinating topic for me. You might be interested in some of the posts here:

http://forums.furtopia.org/index.php/topic,35742.0.html

It's a tough issue, for sure... I know that furries shouldn't be able to speak in human tongues, and that different species probably couldn't even reproduce the same sounds, but I really want to believe they could, lol. Maybe we can assume that since furries clearly all have similar brains and internal organs and such, the internal parts of their vocal tract would be pretty much the same too - and they would be able to compensate somehow for their differently-shaped mouths. We make a similar assumption elsewhere: most animals' faces are largely immobile, but I think most people assume that real-life anthros would be able to smile and frown and make all the facial expressions we can.

[Shim]

My fursona actually brought this up at one point, in the middle of a conversation with somebody. (In RP)

He brought himself to ask "..What language are we speaking?" (Because he came to this world from earth.) He was told they were speaking the native language of the species, and was questioned as to why he had to ask the question, if they were clearly conversing with each other  .

[furtopia02]

In fiction we can get away with it, furries sound like us. In real life I think this would be an odd predicament for furries if they where trying to sound human or speak our languages. The structure of the human face was an evolutionary adaptation for talking amongst other reasons, our languages are build around the human jaw, cheek, and teeth structure. A furry creature in real life if one popped into existence could probably work biologically but the structure of a furries mouth being that of an animals would probably make them incomprehensible without their own language built around their mouth structure.

I guess you can say that in fiction its a case of translation convention when we hear them or perhaps they could pull it off a little, birds are able to talk quite clearly at times in English and other languages with beaks and no teeth. I guess its kind of a buzz kill though when thinking about what it would be like in reality.

I enjoy reading fiction like Redwall and whatnot. I generally do not worry about the science behind what I am reading if it is somewhat plausible. Depending on how close real furries (though we wont have such a thing) would resemble humans in vocal ability and structure (including expressions and muscles in the face since they'd be more human-like) it may not even be a huge hurdle for them to speak existing languages if they were that closely akin to humans.

[Hayaikawa]

think of it like this, animals dont spend the time we do working and training our mouths to make different sounds, their content with the basics they can make, but with some dogs we've seen a little practicve in speaking human languages, or atleast replicating them,

so i figure, with human level inteligance and training, even a very animal like mouth could produce sounds close enough to be good.

[LordFenrir]

think of it like this, animals dont spend the time we do working and training our mouths to make different sounds, their content with the basics they can make, but with some dogs we've seen a little practicve in speaking human languages, or atleast replicating them,

so i figure, with human level inteligance and training, even a very animal like mouth could produce sounds close enough to be good.

Agreed!  I've known dogs that can mimic a few words, but since the intelligence of a domestic dog is far less advanced than that of a human, they cannot speak a language like English.  But, if the anthro animal possessed intelligence on par with our own, I don't see why they wouldn't be able to learn it.

[Foshling]

Well... I know what my fursona would sound like. he can speak both Yoshi and Zergling. see done!... Fine.
Foshling has a jaw etc very much like a yoshis, but with the throat where zergling practically speak from it is well.. shaped like a zerglings. Tadaa! fine (enough) language speaking!

[Plutonium]

Fictional languages are pretty cool, though they are still made by humans and only humans can test them. They may not be made with animal or fictional creatures mouth in mind. The same problem is at play if those creatures where brought into reality with our unfortunate limiting laws of science. I wonder if their is a way to research this though? Perhaps an experiment that could simulate a furry with human lungs and vocal cords speaking with their physical face and mouth structure while being affected by real world laws of acoustics.

[Serra Belvoule]

I convey on my universe the idea that since my critters have evolved in an anthropomorphic way, they vocal chords have grown similarly and thus able to sound "human". X3
Then again, it's a fantasy world so you can blame it on magic.
Animals that make vocal sounds can "imitate" human speech, so I guess it's not that far off.

[Plutonium]

I noticed with some anthro creatures they do have some facial abilities not present in many real life animals or humans. They are able to manipulate their cheeks to cover their mouth with just a little opening like when you see an anthro whistling and they can have their cheeks go back to the sides of their jaw like a normal animal on top of being able to smile and other non animal abilities. When anthros talk they sometimes appear to use this ability to direct the air and sound leaving their mouth. Skin can do almost anything so this unusual ability could probably exist in a realistic universe like ours and perhaps help more in them sounding human, maybe not 100% but closer. I guess it could be called the Tex Avery adaptation refreshing his big bad wolf charter made in the 40s.

[Kobuk]

Ok, here's a little test for everyone. Instead of us just discussing linguistics and vocalisations in this thread, What if some furs actually tried to make a video or a recording of themselves trying to do some special sounds or vocalisations and then post it in this thread? Practice what you preach, right?

[Shim]

Ok, here's a little test for everyone. Instead of us just discussing linguistics and vocalisations in this thread, What if some furs actually tried to make a video or a recording of themselves trying to do some special sounds or vocalisations and then post it in this thread? Practice what you preach, right?

*tugs on Kobuk's shoulder* I don't know the Ceilican (World of darkness/White wolf) language  .

[Arbutus]

I noticed with some anthro creatures they do have some facial abilities not present in many real life animals or humans. They are able to manipulate their cheeks to cover their mouth with just a little opening like when you see an anthro whistling and they can have their cheeks go back to the sides of their jaw like a normal animal on top of being able to smile and other non animal abilities.

Actually, now that you mention it... I've always been amazed with how well dogs can control their mouths. Just look at a picture of a dog panting and a dog howling, and look at the difference in the size of their mouth opening. An anthro canine probably wouldn't have a problem with most of the fine muscle movements needed to produce speech.

[Shim]

Actually, now that you mention it... I've always been amazed with how well dogs can control their mouths. Just look at a picture of a dog panting and a dog howling, and look at the difference in the size of their mouth opening. An anthro canine probably wouldn't have a problem with most of the fine muscle movements needed to produce speech.

Oddly, you find that in dogs a lot. You could say that a dog looks like its smiling, even though that's just what it naturally looks like when it's panting

[Scrimno]

http://trickster.wereanimal.net/Primal/

Aww, you beat me to it! That language supposedly has the animal's anatomy in mind when making sounds. Just listen to the sample sounds.

IMHO it all depends on how much fiction you want in your fiction. Know what I mean? Personally I like to understand my furries :3

[Mooshi]

Some people are taking this a wee bit too seriously liek zomg no whai! Go watch some talking cat vids, a parrot speaking or watch the Chipmunks. :O How would a furry sound? Weird. ;p

VA's for characters do a good job, though, when voicing animals. Well..the ones with talent that have emotion and not employed by 4kids. Chi's voice and Klonoa's Japanese voice fit perfectly.

[Scrimno]

You wouldn't have any bias for Klonoa, now would you?

[Serra Belvoule]

You wouldn't have any bias for Klonoa, now would you?

Absolutely not! I am appalled you would say such about mooshi!! 

[Sigurd Volsung]

Robert Heinlien makes mention of "Calebs/Neodogs" which are an artificial race based on dogs. While they can speak they have to replace certain letter sounds with others as their facial structure makes things like 'B' and 'P' impossible to pronounce

[Murkrow]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxZabf3u89s

wouldnt some furs sound like that?

[Serra Belvoule]

Or something like THIS!

[Shim]

EVEN AS A CAT, I CAN'T RESIST THE OVERBEARING LEVEL OF CUTE! NOOOO

[Spirit]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxZabf3u89s

wouldnt some furs sound like that?

Oh don piano!