Silbo Gomero (Spanish: silbo gomero, 'Gomeran whistle'), also known as el silbo
('the whistle'), is a whistled register of Spanish used by inhabitants of La
Gomera in the Canary Islands to communicate across the deep ravines and narrow
valleys that radiate through the island. It enables messages to be exchanged
over a distance of up to 5 kilometres. Due to this loud nature, Silbo Gomero is
generally used in circumstances of public communication. Messages conveyed
could range from event invitations to public information advisories. A speaker
of Silbo Gomero is sometimes referred to in Spanish as a silbador
('whistler'). Silbo Gomero is a transposition of Spanish from speech to
whistling. This oral phoneme-whistled phoneme substitution emulates Spanish phonology
through a reduced set of whistled phonemes. It was declared as a Masterpiece of
the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2009.
Little is known of the original Guanche language or the languages of the Canaries, but it is assumed that their phonological system must have been simple enough to allow an efficient whistled language. Used by the island's original inhabitants, the Guanches, the whistled language existed before the arrival of Spanish settlers and was also spoken on el Hierro,Tenerife , and Gran Canaria. Silbo was
adapted to Spanish during the Spanish settlement in the 16th century and was
widely spoken throughout the period into the following 17th century. In 1976
Silbo barely remained on el Hierro, where it had flourished at the end of the
19th century.
Use of the language declined in the 1950s, one factor being the economic decline, which forced many speakers to move away to seek better jobs to cope financially. Technological developments such as the telephone played a part in reducing the practicality and utility of the language. The language's earlier survival had been due to its role in overcoming distance and terrain, in addition to the ease with which it is learned by native speakers. Most significantly, in the period from the 1960s to 1980s, many people had turned away from agriculture and so many middle class families did not want their children to speak the language as it was negatively associated with the rural peasants.
In the late 1990s, language revitalization efforts began and initiatives from within the community started. By 1999, the revitalization of Silbo Gomero was furthered by education policies and other legislative measures. It now has official protection as an example of intangible cultural heritage.
History
Little is known of the original Guanche language or the languages of the Canaries, but it is assumed that their phonological system must have been simple enough to allow an efficient whistled language. Used by the island's original inhabitants, the Guanches, the whistled language existed before the arrival of Spanish settlers and was also spoken on el Hierro,
Use of the language declined in the 1950s, one factor being the economic decline, which forced many speakers to move away to seek better jobs to cope financially. Technological developments such as the telephone played a part in reducing the practicality and utility of the language. The language's earlier survival had been due to its role in overcoming distance and terrain, in addition to the ease with which it is learned by native speakers. Most significantly, in the period from the 1960s to 1980s, many people had turned away from agriculture and so many middle class families did not want their children to speak the language as it was negatively associated with the rural peasants.
In the late 1990s, language revitalization efforts began and initiatives from within the community started. By 1999, the revitalization of Silbo Gomero was furthered by education policies and other legislative measures. It now has official protection as an example of intangible cultural heritage.
Speakers
Many people in La
Gomera speak Silbo Gomero, but their expression of the language deviates in
minor ways which shows the different origins of the speaker. As reported in a
2009 UNESCO report, all the people living in La Gomera understand the language,
but only those born before 1950 and the younger generations who attended school
since 1999 can speak the language. Those born before 1950 were taught the
language by their elders in their homes, and those who have attended or are
attending school since 1999 were taught the language formally in school. Those
born between 1950 and 1980 understand the language but are unable to speak it,
as the language was hardly used and negatively viewed during their time of language
acquisition.
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