Needs Help: Bilingual Animal

Note: This thread was proposed by The Mayor Of Simpleton, who gave others permission to make the thread.

The problem: Bilingual Animal is a trope about an animal being able to talk to both humans and animals. The description isn't very clear about what that entails—seeming to include both "animals can both speak human language and make animal sounds", and "animals can talk to both humans and animals". A Trope Talk thread indicated there were problems, and Fighteer made one comment in particular that indicated some of the problems here:

It was further noted that Furry Reminder covers the first category as well.

I and Yindee did a wick check to see what kinds of use this trope got.

The wick check: Link here, but here's the quick results:

• 5/48 examples, or 10.42%, were examples where an animal can have a conversation with both humans and animals
• 29/48 examples, or 60.41%, were examples where animals can both talk human language and make animal sounds
• 1/48 examples, or 2.08%, where when an animal can't speak a human language but knows how to write
• 2/48 examples, or 4.17%, were of other use
• 2/48 examples, or 4.17%, were ZCEs, unclear, and other, and
• 4/48 examples, or 8.33%, were unclassifiable

The wick analysis: So most of the examples were of the category that is already covered by Furry Reminder. Not many that are covered by Talking Animal interestingly, although I still think/agree with Fighteer that conceptually Bilingual Animal and Talking Animal have overlap. This indicates that the issue isn't so much the definition as much as it is overlap with other tropes. I still listed this as Needs Help anyway though as the definition is still an issue.

Solutions?: Given the conceptual problems here, I propose disambiguating Bilingual Animal, with Talking Animal and Furry Reminder being included in the disambig. I don't believe this concept can stand on its own, as the two mentioned tropes already cover it, and the definition is kind of unclear anyway.

What does everyone else think? Any other ideas on how to fix/save this trope?

In real life, animals have languages but they obviously don't speak English or any human language.^note  The exception is a few African grey parrots, who have been taught to use words meaningfully to a certain extent. Gorillas and chimpanzees have also been taught to communicate using sign language. Nevertheless, fictional animals are often shown as being able to speak to humans. However, there may be times when an animal character, who has previously been established as having the ability to speak to humans, is also shown making the "natural" sound for its species speaking to other animals. This trope makes it clear to the audience that the animal really is speaking English and it's not just realistic animal noises being translated into English. If not, it's human speech being translated into English.

It's also a good source of comedy. If the animal is hiding its ability to speak a human language from the humans (which they'll often do until they're caught or otherwise forced to stop pretending), expect a gag of it communicating with the human, then backing it up by adding, "I mean [animal sound]". A similar gag is for the animal to be making animal sounds and then suddenly communicate with humans to their surprise. The animal will usually then be offended at the humans not realising it could speak their language.

Sometimes, the animal makes its sound in the middle or end of its sentences, kind of like a Verbal Tic (if they do this and also have a voice reminiscent of an animal sound, they're either a Speech-Impaired Animal or have an Animal Species Accent). Sometimes, the animal mostly talks but involuntarily makes their sound when startled.

One gag involving the Bilingual Animal is a variation on Baby's First Words where a baby animal either learns to communicate with humans after exclusively making its sound using Animal Talk or learns to make its sound the animal language when previously it could only communicate with humans.

Bilingual Animals can also serve as interpreters between humans and animals and a Silly Animal Sound might be treated as them speaking a "foreign language". In some cases, the animal can't speak a human language but knows how to write, like Snoopy in Peanuts or Charlotte in Charlotte's Web.

If a Funny Animal or Beast Man is like this, making the sound could serve as a Furry Reminder. See also Animal Talk, Talking Animal, Civilised Animal. Very common in cases of Polly Wants a Microphone because parrots in fiction often squawk at the beginning and/or end of a sentence, Cock-a-Doodle Dawn where roosters prepare to crow at dawn, and Cat Concerto where speaking is seen as communication and meowing is used as singing.

If an animal makes its "natural" sounds instead, that's a Furry Reminder. Compare Speaks Fluent Animal for when a human can speak both human and animal languages.

In real life, animals have languages but they obviously don't speak English or any human language.^note  The exception is a few African grey parrots, who have been taught to use words meaningfully to a certain extent. Gorillas and chimpanzees have also been taught to communicate using sign language. Nevertheless, fictional animals are often shown as being able to speak to humans. However, there may be times when an animal character, who has previously been established as having the ability to speak to humans, is also shown speaking to other animals. This trope makes it clear to the audience that the animal really is speaking English and it's not just realistic animal noises being translated into English. If not, it's human speech being translated into English.

One gag involving the Bilingual Animal is a variation on Baby's First Words where a baby animal either learns to communicate with humans after exclusively using Animal Talk or learns the animal language when previously it could only communicate with humans.

Bilingual Animals can also serve as interpreters between humans and animals and a Silly Animal Sound might be treated as them speaking a "foreign language". In some cases, the animal can't speak a human language but knows how to write, like Snoopy in Peanuts or Charlotte in Charlotte's Web.

If an animal makes its "natural" sounds instead, that's a Furry Reminder. Compare Speaks Fluent Animal for when a human can speak both human and animal languages.

1. Anime.Pokemon The Series: Meowth of Team Rocket can speak to both humans and Pokémon, making him useful for relaying information to the characters and audience.
2. Literature.Discworld: Recurring character Gaspode the Wonder Dog learned to speak Morporkian (i.e. English) via magic, but has no trouble speaking to other dogs, or even wolves. On several occasions, he acts as a cross-species translator.
3. Literature.Garfields Judgement Day: This book reveals that all of the neighborhood animals can speak human, but have always chosen not to due to a "rule". They consider breaking the rule to warn their owners about the impending disaster.
4. Webcomic.Sandra And Woo: Woo the raccoon and his kits is uniquely capable of talking to both humans and animals.
5. WesternAnimation.Thunder Cats 1985: Depends on where you think he falls as far as an "animal," but Snarf^note Who's a creature called a "snarf" had animal linguistics as a power. It actually came in very useful for a tailor-made episode where the other Thundercats got kidnapped by the villains and Snarf had to use various animals to mount a rescue for them.

1. Advertising.Claude The Cat: Claude mainly talks, but in one PSA, he's heard screaming, "Reoww!" (the same sound effect used in That Poor Cat) upon accidentally burning himself.
2. Aladdin.Tropes A To D: Iago the parrot can actually speak instead of just copying people, but he keeps it a secret from all but Jafar, his evil owner, so when other people are present, he squawks and copies people.
3. Anime.Yokai Watch: As a cat Yo-kai, Jibanyan can speak human language, but also has the Verbal Tic "Nyan", which he adds at the end of his sentences. However, when he was a normal cat before he died, he could only meow.
4. Characters.Little Bear: She can quack as well as speak.
5. Characters.The Sprout Sharing Show: Can speak, but her dialogue is often peppered with snorts.
6. ComicBook.Condorito: There's a joke where Washington (Condorito's pet dog) goes to an office for a job. The employer can't believe that an animal requests a human job, but Washington does every task made in the office, surprising the employer. Finally, when he sees his CV and asks if he's bilingual, Washington answers with a "meow meow."
7. Fanfic.Sucked Into The Smash Universe: Venom tends to squawk like a bird when he's surprised or hit. Makes sense as he's a Black Vulture.
8. Film.The Great Muppet Caper: Rowlf barks at some guard dogs and says, "It pays to know a second language."
9. Literature.A Lion In The Meadow: The lion mostly speaks, but can be heard roaring at the beginning.
10. Literature.Black Beauty: Horses mainly talk, but they whinny when surprised.
11. Literature.Elephant And Piggie: "Happy Pig Day" reveals that Piggie can oink as well as speaking.
12. MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic.Tropes A To B: The ponies mainly speak, but occasionally whinny. For instance, Rainbow Dash whinnies in her sleep in "Sleepless in Ponyville".
13. Neopets.Tropes A To E:
    • Myncis can both speak and make monkey noises.
    • Petpets mainly just make noises, but Desert petpets say, "A curse on you!" sometimes, robot petpets occasionally say, "Need oil", "Hungry, need food" or "Must protect Neopet", Tyrannian petpets know a few phrases in Tyrannian, and if you swear (or accidentally trip the filter), all petpets say, "Oi! Don't swear! This site is family-friendly!".
14. Series.Bumble: Bumble the Bee talks but often says "Zzz". This is actually Artistic License – Biology; bees buzzing is not a vocalization but rather the noise of their wings beating together.
15. Series.The Muppets 2015: Miss Piggy usually talks, but in "A Tail of Two Pigs", she accidentally snorts out of anger.
16. SesameStreet.Tropes A To C:
    • Chip and Dip can both speak and meow.
    • One "Elmo's World" skit features a tiger who can talk and once demonstrates his roar. His housecat friend, however, can only meow.
    • One cartoon skit is about a talking dog trying to meow but he can only bark. In another, a talking cat tries to bark, but he can only meow.
    • The Bear family mainly talks, but they can also growl. One episode is about Baby Bear accepting that his baby sister Curly has a louder growl than him.
17. WesternAnimation.Daniel Tigers Neighborhood: The animals can speak and sometimes put their sounds in the middle of their sentences, especially Katerina Kittycat.
18. WesternAnimation.Globehunters An Around The World In Eighty Days Adventure: Trevor the parrot who, not only squawks and mimics humans, but is capable of human speech and understanding humans. In one scene, it's shown that he can speak to them if he so chooses. Near the end, he fluently talks to the Hunter.
19. WesternAnimation.Infinity Train: The series has multiple examples. Most prominently Atticus in Book 1, a dog who can speak eloquent human language, but also sings a ballad in one episode that consists entirely of howling.
20. WesternAnimation.Lady And The Tramp: Dogs can both talk and bark, and cats can both talk and meow. For example, the first sentence of "We are Siamese" goes: "We are Siamese if you please, meow". They also understand human speech, though humans can't understand them.
21. WesternAnimation.Martha Speaks: Martha gains the ability to talk from eating alphabet soup. She can still bark while able to talk, but if she tries to talk after going a day without soup, she can only bark.
22. WesternAnimation.One Hundred And One Dalmatians: Dogs can both speak and bark. In fact, in one scene, the Colonel has to translate a distant dog's barking into English so that the cat and horse he's talking to will understand.
23. WesternAnimation.Peg Plus Cat: The Pig hardly ever speaks— he mainly either snorts or sings.
24. WesternAnimation.Peppa Pig: The animals can both talk and make their sounds. Daddy Pig's loud snort is a Running Gag.
25. WesternAnimation.Puppy Dog Pals: Most animals can speak as well as make their natural sounds.
26. WesternAnimation.Puppy In My Pocket Adventures In Pocketville: Most Pocketville denizens are able to both speak and make their respective animal noises.
27. WesternAnimation.Shrek 2: When Donkey becomes a horse, he can still talk, but he can also whinny.
28. WesternAnimation.The Aristocats: The cats' meows are separate from their speech, as evidenced when Marie tells her brothers to start meowing. Interestingly, this is somewhat verified in real-life; meows are mostly used by cats to get the attention of humans, while using a variety of different sounds like chirps and squeaks to communicate with other cats.
29. Western Animation.Up: The dogs wear collars that enable them to talk, but it doesn't stop them from being able to bark.
    Carl Fredricksen: "And on your way, learn how to bark like a real dog!"
    Doug: "I can bark. *woof woof* And here's howling. *Awoo*!"

1. ComicStrip.Peanuts: The strip has Snoopy, who can type and bark.

1. Characters.Padak: Padak claims to speak a few different sea animals' languages, from octopus to jellyfish. multilingual, human's just not one of the languages
2. Literature.Charlie And Lola: Discussed in the book "We Honestly Can Look After Your Dog", where the four-year-old girls Lola and Lotta claim that Sizzles (the titular dog) can speak English as well as some other talents, but he's never heard speaking English so they're probably just spinning yarns. Not an example as the animals don't actually do it, and it doesn't seem to be much of a discussed example either—that would imply the trope itself is being discussed.

1. Fanfic.Way Of The Aura: Played with. Luka uses telepathy to better communicate with humans and acts as a translator for other Pokémon. Unclear as to if this indicates animal/Pokemon sounds.
2. WesternAnimation.Open Season: Deni mainly quacks, but occasionally says a word in English. However, most animals just speak in translated animal noises. Counts as both of the first two categories.

1. Main.Animal Talk: See also Bilingual Animal, which can perfectly communicate with humans and animals alike. See also pothole, unclassifiable.
2. Main.Animal Tropes: An animal that both makes its sound and talks. 'Index
3. Main.Language Tropes: An animal that both speaks and makes its noises. Index
4. Pantheon.Death Archetypes: Padak: Portfolio: Bilingual Animal Pantheon