Co-ordinating Departure

When a lorikeet pair are feeding, and one of them wants to leave, it utters a very brief "whit" sound.  If the second bird doesn't react, the first bird continues the same call at regular intervals until the second bird reacts and they fly off together.  In terms of Halliday's model of protolanguage, this is an instance of the regulatory microfunction: 'I want + you-&-me'.

ChatGPT comments:

That's a great example of the regulatory microfunction in action. The brief "whit" sound seems to serve as a kind of subtle but persistent signal, an attempt to coordinate action between the two birds. It’s a straightforward expression of intention: one bird wants to leave and is trying to engage the other bird in the same action. This call is not just an impulse to communicate something in the moment, but a social tool that prompts a shared behaviour.

The fact that the call is repeated until there’s a response speaks to the persistence of the bird's intent, which might suggest an underlying urgency or importance attached to the need for synchronisation. It also highlights the role of the second bird in this semiotic exchange—it’s not just a matter of giving a call but of getting a specific, cooperative response.

It’s interesting how this call reflects the social dynamics between the birds, too—there's an implied recognition of the other's autonomy, but also a desire for mutual action. Halliday's idea of this being a "you-&-me" construct captures this relationship well, as it emphasises the interdependence involved in fulfilling the bird's need to move together.