The meow is an adaptation that house cats have developed. Once a kitten (or kitteh) is no longer young and is on its own, meowing or making noise is something it will rarely do. They do it for us, because we are too stupid to figure out cat language.

My orange/white cat, who was feral, does meow, but generally when he wants something. Boo, the black one, meows whenever he feels like it...and also when he wants something.

Sounds like my house.

My tabby is still a tad feral girl ;) she didn't meow with us til we had her for several months--then all of a sudden the most angelic soft mew for some food. Now she meows a lot--for food, treats, and petting.

My tux is a Burmese mix and quite sociable and vocal about it. She needs constant interaction with someone--human or Leia (the tabby). Lately her thing is play "string" with me, sometimes meow-ling like a banshee at 6am ;)

If a feral doesn't learn to meow from other cats, it may never learn that behavior. Meowing to us is them trying to speak human.

My ex-feral tabby friend does what sounds like the cat equivalent of
'hrmphh' when I or her kitten does something 'wrong', or a short
meow if she wants her to 'check in'. She also meows if she hears
youtube videos of kittens, so I ended up watching with
the sound down as I worried she was searching for missing kitties.
She does a great 'ak ak ak' noise when seeing birds in the garden,
which her kitten soon copied.

She never meows to come in though, just sits patiently by the door
whereas her kitten has the loudest, most insistent meow - which she uses
when she wants attention. Usually to play or be let out, rather than
requesting food.

My first cat was vocal, and I wonder if the kitten developed her meow
because I habitually answer it. Thinking about it, I think her communication
with her mum is largely silent, other than a little chirrup when she
greets her. Maybe meowing at your silent ones will
encourage them?