Seriously, I know that communication with higher primates via sign language is controversial, but I'm pretty sure that they have come up with their own signs.
Also, we don't really know enough about animal communication in the case of cetaceans -- or most animals, for that matter -- to make broad judgments about how it works. We do know that dolphins have names for themselves, i.e., symbols. It is also widely believed that they employ symbolic communication of a far more literal sort than human beings do, or are capable of, given that we do not employ echolocation and so are far below these Charlesian superbeings. We do not know if they invent the symbols or derive them through some other method.
We are actually in a great state of ignorance as to how nonhuman beings cognize the world, given that only they know and we can't talk to them, except to some extent to a few higher primates, and their symbol use is limited to things like "I hungry," "give doll," and "dog scary." Thus, I recommend not making statements about how they presumably function or do not function, as it is 99% pure speculation.
--- On Fri, 8/1/08, Dennis Claxton <ddclaxton at earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>
> "There are other forms of intelligent life on earth,
> Doctor (McCoy).
> Only human arrogance would assume the message must be meant
> for
> man." Mr. Spock
>
>
> ___________________________________
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