Linguistic Relativity Homework

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Tulane University *

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3810

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Linguistics

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Dec 6, 2023

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Linguistic Relativity In her article titled Sapir–Whorf Hypothesis, Mia Belle Frothingham introduces and examines the theory of linguistic relativity. This article discusses how Sapir and Whorf synthesized the theory, and further explains how it has remained a hot topic among linguists for so long. Frothingham reviews some examples/studies that Sapir and Whorf used to initially create their theory, then discusses more recent findings regarding this theory’s claims, and assesses its relevancy today analyzing how language relates to society, culture, and cognition. Investigating the validity of this theory as the world sees it today, Frothingham mentions that while the linguistic community does not widely accept this theory, there still may be some correlation between language and our view of the world around us, meaning that even though the theory is not entirely, accurate, it can still be described as relevant. A particular supporting study is mentioned in which German and Spanish speakers are assessed on the basis of object gender. These languages frequently assign masculinity and femininity to inanimate objects and do so oppositely in some cases. The study found that German speakers commonly labeled linguistically feminine objects as “elegant” and “beautiful” while the same items which are linguistically masculine in Spanish were described as “strong” and “long,” by Spanish speakers. These findings imply that speakers have developed preconceived notions regarding items’ femininity or masculinity, due to how they are categorized in their native language, not their actual physical appearances. This evidence supports the fact that language will influence how we perceive and interpret the world, which defies Dr. McWhorter’s findings. Frothingham does however include pieces of evidence which

refute linguistic relativity. One of these examples being the fact that the German language possesses a term which essentially means to take pleasure in another person’s unhappiness. While English does not have an equivalent term for this occurrence, English speakers can obviously still understand and comprehend this emotion, which does not support Sapir and Whorf’s theory. She points out that while there is obviously hard evidence that does not support linguistic relativity, there are still plenty of pieces of evidence which support linguistic relativity. This theory is evidently relative and may not apply in every situation, however it manages to hold true in several circumstances, and definitely opens many doors and windows for further research. Dialectical differences support this theory, given that many English dialects will have specific words that are not comprehensible by speakers of other dialects. This distinction can be seen in our everyday lives, especially in a community such as New Orleans, a hub for dialectical differences. Frothingham argues that culture and location will also impact language and processing, given that many Native American languages often do not have words for things which do not naturally occur in the world around them or the areas in which they live, such as modern technology like phones or computers, as there is no need to reference these things. She also elaborates on the Hopi tribe and how their language and lifestyle have impacted their perception of the world. It was found that members who grew up in the Hopi tribe who later assimilated into modern societies (typically Western civilizations) often report troubles with being on time to work and performing other tasks which involve hard deadlines or specific timings. It was concluded that the fact that their native language does not divide time in the ways that the majority of languages and cultures do, resulted

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