According to TES wiki, Kynareth granted the power of the Thu'um to "the races of men" but Paarthurnax taught "mortals" to use the Thu'um.
It's possible that Kynareth actually granted it to all mortal races, and that the history of the Thu'um was lost slightly along the way. Either that or by "men" it did simply mean the mortal races.
Or the Thu'um is only learnable in the way the Greybeard's learn it if one is human, but the Dovahkiin can be of any race and learn it as he/she does.
Or it's an oversight by Bethesda.
