Word meaning Word meaning changes over time In King James Bible by and by means immediately

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis Are our own concepts of time, space, and matter given in substantially the same form by experience to all men, or are they in part conditioned by the structure of particular languages?

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis Are our own concepts of time, space, and matter given in substantially the same form by experience to all men, or are they in part conditioned by the structure of particular languages? Are there traceable affinities between (a) cultural and behavioral norms and (b) large- scale linguistic patterns?

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis We dissect nature along lines laid down by our native languages. The categories and types that we isolate from the world of phenomena we do not find there because they stare every observer in the face; on the contrary, the world is presented in a kaleidoscopic flux of impressions which has to be organized by our minds—and this means largely by the linguistic systems in our minds. We cut nature up, organize it into concepts, and ascribe significances as we do, largely because we are parties to an agreement to organize it in this way — an agreement that holds throughout our speech community and is codified in the patterns of our language... all observers are not led by the same physical evidence to the same picture of the universe, unless their linguistic backgrounds are similar, or can in some way be calibrated.

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis The structure of one’s language influences the manner in which one perceives and understands the world, therefore, speakers of different languages will perceive the world differently.

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis Strong version Language determines certain non-linguistic cognitive processes, that is, language determines our perception of the world.

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis Strong version Language determines certain non-linguistic cognitive processes, that is, language determines our perception of the world. Weak version Language biases our view of the world.

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis Strong version Reality is imposed by one's language so you can alter someone's thoughts by altering his/her language Is that even possible? Do totalitarian governments ban words?

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis Strong version Reality is imposed by one's language so you can alter someone's thoughts by altering his/her language Is that even possible? Do totalitarian governments ban words? Linguistic categories create cognitive categories

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis I am hot I have heat

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis I am hot I have heat I have two daisies There are two daisies to me

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis I am hot I have heat I have two daisies There are two daisies to me We went (past tense) to the store We go (past meaning, no past tense) to the store

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis I am leaving (marked with iterative aspect) I am leaving (marked with future aspect)

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis Does language affect how we perceive colors? How would you divide the spectrum up?

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis English Berimno

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis People who don't have different words for blue and green can't distinguish them

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis Strong version Reality is imposed by one's language so you can alter someone's thoughts by altering his/her language

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis Chinese numbers for eleven and twelve = 10+1, 10+2, etc. English numbers = separate words (eleven, twelve, etc) Chinese-speaking children learn to count and understand numbers in the teen range better than English-speaking children

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis Verbs can contain information about movement path manner ground figure The ball rolled down the road manner=roll path=down the road ground=road figure=ball

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis Verbs can contain information about movement path manner ground figure The ball rolled down the road manner=roll path=down the road ground=road figure=ball English verbs contain manner, not path

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis English verbs encode manner not path French verbs encode path, not manner English figure manner path ground She cycled over the bridge The bird flew out of its cage Elle a traverse la Manche a velo she crossed the Channel by plane

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis Other examples Drudge = marcher péniblement (walk tediously) March = marcher au pas (walk stepping) Plod = marcher d’un pas lent (walk with a slow step) Saunter = marcher d’un pas nonchalant (walk with a nonchalant step)

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis In some experiment

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis Languages with gender all objects animate and inanimate have gender English and Spanish kids asked to group objects into two 33% of Spanish kids did it by gender

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis Languages with gender all objects animate and inanimate have gender English and Spanish kids asked to group objects into two 33% of Spanish kids did it by gender Should this have a man's or woman's voice Spanish did it by gender English had no pattern

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis Languages with gender all objects animate and inanimate have gender English and Spanish kids asked to group objects into two 33% of Spanish kids did it by gender Should this have a man's or woman's voice Spanish did it by gender English had no pattern Kids with gender language recognize gender of other kids faster than kids with no gender in language

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis German English bilinguals Spanish English bilinguals Key is feminine in Spanish and masculine in German Bridge is masculine in Spanish and feminine in German

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis German English bilinguals Spanish English bilinguals Key is feminine in Spanish and masculine in German Bridge is masculine in Spanish and feminine in German Describe key German: hard, heavy, jagged Spanish: light, shiny, little

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis German English bilinguals Spanish English bilinguals Key is feminine in Spanish and masculine in German Bridge is masculine in Spanish and feminine in German Describe bridge German: beautiful, elegant, peaceful, slender Spanish: big, dangerous, strong, sturdy

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis English: put on versus put in Korean: interlock things versus put loosely in container They asked kids to describe what was being done (buttoning, joining, separating, inserting, attaching, hanging, dressing things) Korean kids classified things as interlocking and tightly fitting by using same words to describe them. Same words not used for “in and on” English kids the opposite