The Relationship Between Language and Culture ~ A Completed Circle ~

"Chicken" and the "Egg"  Does culture influence language or does language affect culture? CultureLanguage vs.

My Opinion...  Language expresses and reflects our attitudes about the world according to our culture. At the same time, it also shapes our attitudes about the world.

Theory of Linguistic Relativity  Culture influences language. "People of different cultures speak differently because they think differently." ~ Claire Kramsch  Individual mindsets are determined by the meanings, values, and beliefs that make-up culture.

Case 1 - Specialized Vocabulary Horse MareFoal FillyStallion Colt Cow BullCalfBullockHeifer  Chinese - “ 马 ” and “ 牛 ”.  English - "Chipmunk". o Extent of specialized vocabulary reflects the topic's importance to that culture.

Case 1 - Specialized Vocabulary  The high degree of specialization that English gives to “ horses ” and “ cows ” likely results from the importance of “ horses ” and “ cows ” in the history of English- speaking cultures.  Different terms for beef demonstrate culturally-specific eating habits.

Case 2 - Cultural Presuppositions Chicken/ 鸡 English: Cowardice Chinese: Prostitute  Through a body of shared knowledge, members of a culture give different words different meanings that only in-group members understand.  Language includes cultural presuppositions that individuals must know in order to understand the message being conveyed

Case 3 - Word Meaning Football American: Football - carried & thrown Soccer - kicked European: Football - kicked  Culturally-bound knowledge is reflected in the language used.  Same words may mean different things in different cultures which causes misunderstandings.  Assigned definitions reflect what is culturally important and is rooted in a common body of knowledge and experiences shared by in-group members.

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis  The structure of language influences the manner in which one thinks and behaves.  The relationship between language and culture is multi-directional – speakers give value to words for culturally important things and use these same words to create certain attitudes in listeners.  “ terrorist ” => social condemnation vs. “ freedom fighter ” => positive image  By using words to reinforce a particular belief among individuals, language plays a role in influencing culture.

Metaphors - Multi-Directional  Metaphors contain symbolic content that both communicate and reinforce complex social and cultural messages.  ~ "Time is Money" ~  By accepting the indirect assumption involved with this metaphor, the idea of time as a resource within the culture is strengthened perhaps more so than initially considered within the culture.

Conclusion  Neither culture nor language would exist without the other.  Language and culture should be seen as two parts of a circle – inseparable, constantly changing, and complete only when together.