Transcription of Conversation Involving Sue Savage-Rumbaugh, Russ, Bonobo Panbanisha, and Dog Mocha.

(Appendix 1 in Janni Pedersen, "Aspects of Repetition in Bonobo–Human Conversation: Creating Cohesion in a Conversation Between Species", Journal of Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science)

Transcription Key (from the same work):

The transcript conventions used:

Capitalized words signify a word spoken by pointing to the lexigram on the keyboard, which then speaks out the word aloud. Humans often accompany this by saying the word aloud themselves. In other words, in this transcript, when a word is capitalized in the speech of SSR, she points to the lexigram, while both she and the computerised keyboard speak the word aloud. Spoken proper nouns are transcribed with first letter capitalized as ordinarily.

(...) is description of behaviour carried out by the participants, deemed significant for understanding the interchange.

For the rest, I follow standard transcription:

[] are overlaps
= are latches
(0.0) are pauses, indicating the length
(.) is a short pause
? is rising intonation
. is falling intonation, as in the end of a sentence
, is continuing intonation
underlining means that the word is emphasised or spoken hard

[(myl) For clarity, Panbanisha's contributions are in red]


1. PB: CARRY YES
2. SSR: you want Russ to carry you? ((quiet laughter)) instead of the dog. (1.0)
3. Panbanisha i’m going to tell you something (4.5)
4. Russ is going to CARRY the DOG because the DOG is SCARED of
5. PANBANISHA. the dog is scared of you.
6. (1.8)
7. PB: CARRY ((Panbanisha points to the lexigram on the keyboard))
8. (0.5) ((After this first pause, the keyboard speaks out the word)) (0.5)
9. SSR: Panbanisha, we could try to (.) pad the dog and be GOOD.
10. do you wanna try to be [good] to the dog?
11. PB: [vocalises] ((short, fairly quiet peep with one pitch))
12. ((PB takes SSR by the hand and walks some steps towards the dog and Russ))
13. SSR: now hold my hand, we’ll go, no ((SSR pulls Panbanisha back towards her)
14. we have to go (.) panbanisha ((laughter)) we have to go SLOW
15. we have to go SLOW over to the DOG, we have to be GOOD. (.) okay (0.4)
16. maybe we can let the dog come over to see you.(0.1) you don’t think so?
17. you think we can come over there? (1.0)
18. ((SSR gets up and graps Panbanisha by her hands))
19. okay we’re gonna go, we’re not gonna hit the dog,
20. if you don’t go slow, you can’t go over.
21. ((they go toward the dog, SSR holding Panbanisha’s hand.
22. About 4 steps. Panbanisha acts roughly and the dog is barking))
23. Russ: be good heyh
24. ((Panbanisha is being pulled back by SSR))
25. SSR: i don’t think Panbanisha is, (0.2) i think it’s just not gonna work
26. ((laughter))
27. Russ: i think you might be right.
28. SSR: i think Panbanisha is gonna have to play with rough and tie, (.)
29. and Bondo and Smuggels.
30. Russ: started right at the door.
31. ((dog starts barking in the background and Panbanisha walks toward the dog.
32. SSR has Panbanisha in a leach and pulls her back toward her))
33. SSR: Panbanisha the dog is scared of you
34. and the dog doesn’t want to have anything to do with you (.)
35. most of the dogs have to, (0.5) (laughter)
36. Mocha just doesn’t wanna see you panbanisha (.) she wants you to (.)
37. Mocha wants you to (0.2) GO AWAY [that’s what Mocha wants you to do (.)
38. she wants you to]
39. PB: [YES CARRY]
40. ((Panbanisha points to the lexigrams right as the overlaps starts, and the
41. keyboard speaks it aloud right as the overlaps ends.))
42. SSR: NO CARRY, no Russ can’t carry you (0.2) you know what though (0.4)
43. i heard that since Russ was here (.) i heard that Pam was here too?
44. PB: vocalises = ((vocalises with a short peep,
45. one pitch and lower-pitched than the one before.))
46. Russ: = yeah
47. SSR: your friend PAM (.) look i got a name for Pam
48. PB: vocalises ((vocalisation sounds higher and more excited than before.
49. Panbanisha moves three steps toward the keyboard))
50. SSR: this is Pam (0.2) this is Pam (0.2) aha this is Pams name.
51. PB: PINKY
52. SSR: well where did we leave PINKY. I think we left pinky (.) back by the (.)
53. TRAILER maybe we better GO GET PINKY
54. PB: [HOUSE NOW]
55. SSR: [You think we better go get pinky?] you wanna go to the house? YES (.)
56. you know what ((talk not audible, can discern the words food and tv))
57. but right now i? (.) you know what i wanna to do? i wanna to GO LOOK
58. for PAM.(.) i wanna to go look for pam
59. PB: ((points to a lexigram, but cannot see or hear what it is.
60. Then she walks quickly toward the dog—the dog starts barking.
61. SSR pulls panbanisha back))
62. SSR: Panbanisha i wanna tell you something i wanna tell you something. (.)
63. you’re being BAD to the DOG you’re being bad. (0.1) the dog’s being bad and
64. you’re being bad, we got two bad ones (0.3)
65. i’m gonna say no more BAD or SUE’S GONNA GET MAD? again (.)
66. do you want me to be MAD? (0.2) i don’t think you do
67. PB: Phil
68. ((a slight delay (0.3) from pointing to the lexigram until it is spoken aloud,
69. makes a pause of (0.3)))
70. SSR: you like to go see Phil? or Karen ? because i’m getting MAD?
71. [arent i (.) you know what you]
72. PB: [MAD]
73. ((Panbanisha points to lexigram as overlap starts
74. and it is spoken aloud during the overlap))
75. SSR: yes i can get very MAD. (1.0)
76. i need you to be GOOD, to that surprise DOG that’s Mocha, that’s Mocha dog
77. and Mocha dog is SCARED of Panbanisha (.) so we’re gonna do
78. NO GRAP Mocha NO SLAP Mocha no no no no no no no no
79. PB: (points to a lexigram, but cannot see or hear what it is)
80. SSR: i didn’t see that. but you know what i wanna do
81. i wanna look for our friend Pam? Pam? you know what i think we should do ?(.)
82. i think we need to (.) ups (.) TALK on the TELEPHONE.
83. we need to talk on the telephone and try to get a hold of Pam. (0.6)
84. how about if we go to Sue’s office and talk on our TELEPHONE and get mister (.)
85. PINKY on the way (.), could we do that? (0.4)
86. could we go to SUES OFFICE and talk on the
87. PB: TELEPHONE
88. SSR: phone (.) and take mr =
89. PB: = YES TELEPHONE
90. SSR: =yes what? yes telephone [okay]=
91. PB: [CARRY]
92. ((she points to the lexigram, but not hard enough to make it speak))
93. SSR: =yes let’s go (.) ((dog barks)) bad dog can’t go.(0.1)
94. you want Russ to carry you?
95. Russ? can the dog go away and you can carry Panbanisha?
96. Russ: yeah the dog will stay away (.) if i carry Panbanisha the dog will stay away
97. SSR: okay Russ can carry you and the dog will stay away


SSR stands for Sue Savage-Rumbaugh, and PB for Panbanisha.Words in all capitals are words spoken on the keyboard.

 

[(myl) Note: it is unclear how Panbanisha produces turn 67, transcribed as "Phil". It is not all caps, which it should have been if she touched or pointed to a lexigram on the keyboard. This turn is not mentioned in the text of the article -- perhaps Panbanisha signed "Phil", or perhaps the lack of capital letters is a typographical error.]