Dr. Temperance Brennan: What exactly am I supposed to be squinting at?
Seeley Booth: It's like pornography. You'll know it when you see it.
The Man with the Bone - S1-E18
Dr Goodman: Special Agent Booth. Sorry to interupt your investigation but there is an angry billionaire in my office and he won't go away.
The Man on the Fairway - S1-E14
Dr. Addey: Dr Goodman, we found 6 sets of human remains on that plane
Bones: Not to mention 3 bone fragments that were NOT on the plane.
Dr. Goodman: Is there any chance those bone fragments were on the plane?
Angela: What, as carry on luggage?
Agent Booth: FBI!
US Marshall: US Marshalls!
Agent Booth: US Marshall?
Bones: Forensic Anthropologist.
The Man on the Fairway - S1-E14
Dr. Goodman: The information that I'm about to tell you must not leave this room
Hodgins: I am philosophically imposed to institutional secrecy in all its forms.
Dr. Goodman: Fine, get out.
Answer: Since the palatine bone is a bone that helps form the mouth it has a lot to do with speaking. The shape of it differs a lot depending on your ethnic background. I would guess that they, in the show, meant that the person's bone tells that they were Japanese and that it was "made for the purpose of speaking Japanese." That's what I'd assume anyway. I've studied molecular biology though, so I'm not an expert on bones.