True. Or at least, they CAN learn to use it meaningfully if they are taught. Mike doens't know many phrases, but he mostly uses them appropriatly.
He says "Good Morning" when he wants to be uncovered in the morning, and "Say Goodnight" when he is tired and wants to be covered up. He says "Come Here" and "Step Up" when he wants me to go over and pick him up. He says "Hello" when the phone rings and while I'm talking on it. If he's been startled by something or after being punished he will comfort himself by saying "It's OK."
He knows how to use his name in combination with all of those, like "Say goodnight, Mike," or "It's OK, Mike." (which is heartbreakingly cute in the soft hurt-feelings tone he uses.)
And he understands tone of voice VERY well, sounding happy, angry, sarcastic, demanding as appropriate. Like if I don't answer the phone he goes from a questioning tone of voice, "Hello?" To a demanding, "Hello!" And if I still don't answer he sarcastically says, "Hellll-ooooooo!"
His favorite phrase, though, is "Gimme a kiss!" It's the only one he will say on command, and perhaps because I taught it as a command-trick-reward behaviour, it's the one he's chosen to use whenever he wants something he doesn't have words for.
The problem is since he uses it whenever he wants ANYthing, I never know what the hell he wants, so he gets more and more frustrated and "Gimmie a kiss," turns from a cute little peading tone, to an insisting tone, to a harsh demanding tone, to an outright angry "GIMMIE A
KISS!!"
The only thing I know is he does NOT really want a kiss...
I'm really glad my colege roommates never succeeded in teaching him to swear!
