Comparing Linguistics Influences of Shapes and Materials between English and Chinese Speakers

Abstract

This research paper investigates and compares the linguistics influences of shapes and materials between English and Chinese speakers. One previous study compares animate entities, inanimate discrete, and inanimate non-discrete among English, Yucatec Mayan, and Japanese speakers. However, very few previous studies investigate the influences of shapes and materials on Chinese speakers. Therefore, this paper cited the data of A cross-linguistic study of early word meaning: universal ontology and linguistic influence Imai and Gentner, about American speakers and collected new data about Chinese speakers, comparing their different responses based on the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis. The results show that Chinese numeral classifiers are more forcibly used when referring to substances than complex and simple object references. English has its influence on those participants who, to some extent, encountered English during their past studies. As users of a language who does not require a numeral classifier adopt unless referring to substances, English speakers are anticipated to focus more on the material when addressing substances. Also, in this research, Chinese speakers have fewer respondents on shapes than American participants. It is a very meaningful study that can imply the linguistics influences of English and Chinese language on speakers’ thoughts.