How Does Language Influence Our Minds? From a Linguistics Perspective

Abstract

The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, which was first proposed by linguists Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the early 20th century, is currently the most widely accepted theory of neurolinguistics. It makes the argument that language influences cognition and perception, i.e., that people's basic worldviews vary depending on the language they use. Their hypothesis, sometimes referred to as "linguistic relativity," contends that a language's lexicon and structure affect perception. This claim has been disputed on a number of different grounds.Specifically, the hypothesis is composed of two different parts called Linguistic Diversity and Linguistic Influence on Thought, which argue that languages have fundamental differences from each other and that the differences between individual languages create cognitive differences within people. With regards to the latter cognitive section of the theory, there are two key tiers that it is divided into. The first tier proposes a universal "rock bottom" of human consciousness, where everyone must share a basic level of perception. The second tier delves into the semantic details of various languages, asserting that these linguistic nuances contribute to different interpretations layered atop the universal foundation. Moreover, the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis has been even further bisected into two distinct versions depending on how strongly they convey the idea of linguistic relativity, with a strong version arguing that native language completely alters our perspective and a weak version that only suggests a weak connection between the two.