ipl-logo

Whor-Whorf Hypothesis Analysis

2061 Words9 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Sapir-Whorf hypothesis against

Words and languages spoken affect human perception of things. Words are weapons mightier than swords that can change the entire human psyche. In a world where humans co-exist surrounded by social activity, language becomes one of our main mediums of expression. Emoto’s water experiment observed the power of words, as water stamped with positive words created far more aesthetically pleasing crystalline molecular structures, than did the water stamped with negative phrases. (High Existence)
Humans form mental models of the world using a system of beliefs, which also include their underlying assumptions. The real world they perceive is actually a cognitive creation in their minds; a mix of their thoughts, beliefs and external stimuli. Our senses only provide us with limited information; inferences fill up the remaining gaps. Perception and expression are two very different things. Languages play an integral role in affecting the perceptions and building blocks of reality that we exist in, and in the end show through expression the world we have perceived. The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis is a popularization of the principle that one’s language shapes …show more content…

Stephen Pinker, the main critic of this hypothesis argued that it is no more than a myth claiming that Whorf’s hypothesis is “wrong, all wrong” (Pinker, pg.57) and that the “idea that thought is the same thing as language is … a conventional absurdity” (Pinker, pg. 57) The first critique is the idea that language is only a reflection of a thought, it is not a factor affecting thought. As Pinker (1995) also observed, if one word can correspond to two thoughts, the thoughts cannot be words. A person thinking of spring would not be confused about whether he is thinking of the season or something flying off a table, so the initial thought process is direct and unaffected by the language used to merely describe it. (Yee, What Whorf Really

Show More
Related
690 Words | 3 Pages

In other words, without any word or language to define objects or ideas, people simply would not have anything to remember it by. Not only does language allow people to appreciate everything our world has to offer, but it also prevents people from miscommunicating. The narrator only begins to realize this after viewing the total eclipse, in which she notices

Read More
610 Words | 3 Pages

Words have the power to inform, influence, educate and impact the world positively and negatively. Words have the ability to inform and influence others and society in many different methods. In the Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Max writes a book called the Word Shaker for Liesel; near the beginning the story is about a young man known as Adolf Hitler and he spoke of words. Close to the start of Hitler's power he was convinced

Read More
1095 Words | 5 Pages

Throughout generations cultural traditions have been passed down, alongside these traditions came language. The language of ancestors, which soon began to be molded by the tongue of newer generations, was inherited. Though language is an everlasting changing part of the world, it is a representation of one’s identity, not only in a cultural way but from an environmental standpoint as well. One’s identity is revealed through language from an environmental point of view because the world that one is surrounded with can cause them to have their own definitions of words, an accent, etc. With newer generations, comes newer forms of languages.

Read More
288 Words | 2 Pages

My client, The Once-Ler , as my fellow lawyer has made it clear, is being described as selfish. But that is false and a complete misjudgment. His actions are nothing but selfless. The Truffula trees weren 't being cut down as a hobby or a fun side activity. He cut the trees for the gain of society.

Read More
1114 Words | 5 Pages

In Sandra Cisneros’ novel The House on Mango Street, the notion of home transcends mere physicality, encapsulating a rich tapestry of emotions, culture, and identity. Set in a working-class Latino neighborhood in Chicago, the novel follows the coming-of-age journey of Esperanza Cordero, a young Latina girl navigating the complexities of adolescence, womanhood, and societal expectations. At the heart of the narrative lies Mango Street itself—a dilapidated, impoverished neighborhood that Esperanza and her family reluctantly call home. Despite its “shortcomings” Mango Street serves as a crucible for Esperanza’s growth, shaping her understanding of self and community. For Esperanza, home is a paradoxical space—a sanctuary imbued with warmth and familiarity, yet suffused with longing and discontent.

Read More
2688 Words | 11 Pages

The Canadian gun law is a highly controversial topic with three primary standpoints: advocating for stricter regulations, supporting a reduction in restrictions, and maintaining current laws. Each standpoint has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. The American gun laws are simply a less restricted version of Canadian gun laws. Based on research, the United States has a higher death rate than Canada, meaning that there is more gun violence and Canadian gun laws should not decrease. This makes more people want the idea that Canadian gun restrictions should increase, but increasing can also bring downsides, based on research as well.

Read More
348 Words | 2 Pages

What is the most impressive of humanity’s inventions? Many give credit to fire, machines, or medicine, claiming that our society could not function without them. Yet, none of these would be half as useful without another invention– language. As James Baldwin says in his essay, language is identity. Although other qualities may define who a person is, language and speech show this to others.

Read More
580 Words | 3 Pages

The Hopi are a Native American group that speaks an Uto-Aztecan language. For years, this language has sparked several controversies and debates in the world of social scientists because Hopis do not talk about time as other groups of people do—there is no specific word for “time” in their language. The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis was centered around this topic causing decades of controversy and myth surrounding the Hopi language. The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis is the belief that “the language one speaks determines how one perceives the world, and…that the distinctions encoded in each language are all different from one another” (Salzmann, 2014). Despite this, social scientists have proved that Hopis do refer to time; they just use context to do so.

Read More
594 Words | 3 Pages

Language Unit Comparison Essay: Manipulation To analyze the English language is to rediscover how to speak. When scrutinizing every word or sentence, one’s whole perspective changes. How language affects a speaker, reader or writer is a complex maze of tone, diction and meaning. But, all these things tie into the concept of language manipulation. Language can manipulate one’s thoughts or actions.

Read More
1539 Words | 7 Pages

Lera Boroditsky, a professor at Stanford, introduces readers to the question of whether a person’s language can shape their thought processes and views of the world around them through her research conducted at Stanford and MIT. Boroditsky explores further into the questioning about a language’s influence in her article “Lost in Translation”. Boroditsky proves to an audience of broad audience of scholars and people interested in cultural psychology that a person’s language not only influences the way a person thinks but can change a person’s perception of the world and media around them. Lera Boroditsky, through her use of rhetorical questions, comparisons, and addressing the counterargument achieves her purpose of proving that language does

Read More
1358 Words | 6 Pages

The results showed that indeed the words at the semantic level of processing were remembered the best and the words of the structural level were memorized poorly. Nonetheless, it could be argued that the semantic level of processing would be different for all individuals depending on their background and life experiences, as perhaps some words are understood more widely than others. It also depends on the language used to present the words and if the language was the first, second or possibly even the third language of the

Read More
828 Words | 4 Pages

In Lera Boroditsky 's "How Does Our Language Shape the Way We Think" the purpose of the essay is apparent from the second paragraph. "Language is a uniquely human gift central to our experience of being human" she explains, so that the reader understands how language affects ones thoughts and day to day lives (2). Boroditsky 's use of empirical evidence, factual information, organizational structure, understanding and construction upon thoughts that disprove her purpose, and light tone all aide in accomplishing her purpose. Each of these methods help convince the audience that, " Language is central to our experience of being human, and the languages we speak profoundly shapes the way we think, the way we see the world, the way we live our lives" (Boroditsky 10).

Read More
1108 Words | 5 Pages

While at a public speaking, Tan realized that she was using all these large words that her audience understood but her mother did not. “I was saying things like, “The intersection of memory upon imagination” and “There is an aspect of my fiction that relates to thus–and-thus…the forms of English I did not use at home with my mother” (Tan 58). Tan’s mother was in the room while Tan was giving the speech and that was when she realized that language could be a powerful tool that can connect each other in different ways. The English language can also bring people together who speak English but not in such a common way. “We were talking about the price of new and used furniture and I heard myself saying this: “Not waste money that way” (Tan 58).

Read More
1986 Words | 8 Pages

Bespoke Languages Language or spirituality cannot express one’s identity if they are used in the way which has been learned by only imitating others and thus cannot be used as a tool of self-actualization. People want to express their identities in many ways. It is easy to see how different styles to dress express different identities. Language can also be used to express one’s identity as effectively as clothing but it is difficult to use any language that well, therefore language is many times used only as a tool of communication and not as a tool of expressing identities. English language works as lingua franca – generally used language for communication - between people of different native languages and backgrounds.

Read More
1691 Words | 7 Pages

On the one hand, some argue that language constructs our thoughts. From this perspective, Deborah Tannen, from the language constructs thought community, states that “This is how language works. It invisibly molds our way of thinking about people, actions, and the world around us” (Tannen 14). On the other hand, however, others such as Richard Selzer, might say that language is used to represent our thoughts, but it can fall short. One of his view’s main proponents are, “these extremes of sensation remain beyond the power of language to express” (Selzer 28).

Read More

More about Whor-Whorf Hypothesis Analysis

Related Topics

Open Document