Question

1.      Explain in detail the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis of Linguistic Relativity that discusses the relationship among thought, culture and language.

Answer 1

Sapir-whorf theorizes that thoughts and behavior are influences by language which are determined by indiviual culture and community. This hypothesis consist of two associated principles: Linguistic determinism and Linguistic relativity.

Linguistuc determinism: Language may determine our thinking patterns, the way we view and think about the world. It is sometime salso called strong determinism.

Linguistic relativity: The less similar the languages, more diverse is the conceptalization of the world. It also state sthat different languages will see the world differently.

Example:  How sexist language influences the way in which our society views men and women. For instance, we use words like 'fireman,' 'policeman,' and 'male nurse.' The principle of linguistic relativity holds that the structure of a language affects its speakers' world view or cognition. Popularly known as the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis, or Whorfianism, the principle is often defined to include two versions.