Abstract
The idea that different languages foster different world views in their speakers is part of a tradition popularized by Wilhelm von Humboldt in the 18th century long before it became associated with Whorf. In this long process, another two American linguists, Boas and Sapir, are also well-known for their great contributions to this notion. This paper tries to trace the linguistic relativity back to its origin and contextualize its diachronic developments from Europe to America. It is true, however, that it was Benjamin Lee Whorf, the chemical engineer and fire-insurance by profession and the linguist by avocation, who had undertaken extensive research into the language Hopi during 1932-1935 and Maya in late 1930s, and it was he who went further in indicating the relationship between language and thought. As a core part of Whorf’s theory complex, the linguistic relativity was once interpreted in two ways: linguistic determinism which means that language determines the way people think and linguistic relativism which implies that language influences the way people think.
Highlights
Linguistic relativity, known as Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, is the claim, associated closely with the names of Humboldt, Boas, Sapir and Whorf, that language in particular that one speaks exerts great influence on the way in which he thinks, especially his classification of the reality of the world
As a core part of Whorf’s theory complex, the linguistic relativity was once interpreted in two ways: linguistic determinism which means that language determines the way people think and linguistic relativism which implies that language influences the way people think
This paper introduces the origin of the linguistic relativity and its diachronic developments
Summary
Linguistic relativity, known as Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, is the claim, associated closely with the names of Humboldt, Boas, Sapir and Whorf, that language in particular that one speaks exerts great influence on the way in which he thinks, especially his classification of the reality of the world. According to this theory, people who speak language totally different from others think about the world quite differently. Some major interpretations of Whorfian hypothesis and some most well-known experimental researches related to Whorf’s ideas will be reviewed By writing doing those above, the writer plans to show readers the reasons why Whorf is misread, untreated. The writer will come to have an unbiased and reasonable interpretation of Whorf with regard to the controversial issue
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