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The Sapir-Whorf Theory Of Linguistic Relativity

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Benjamin Lee Whorf (1930) who was highly influenced by the work of this mentor, Edward Sapir, hypothesized that different languages mirror different ways of thinking about the world around us. This observation has been labeled Linguistic Relativity.
Linguistic relativity is an aspect of social sciences that leans on the fact that the language we speak molds our view on the world and vice versa. There is a strong relationship between reality and culture. In fact, reality and culture reconcile each other. The concept of linguistic relativity is one that has been around for epochs of time. Lately, it has been argued about and explored by academic scholars. In retrospect, this idea can be attributed to Wilhelm von Humboldt.
Humboldt was a German …show more content…

In this way, language determines (or shapes) our perceptions of reality”.
Customarily, the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis is extensively taught in sociology classes and suggests that we perceive the world in terms of our own language. It however cannot be overstressed that our reality is in correspondence to our own language. One of the recurrently cited examples in this topic is those of the Hanunoo, who have about 92 terms for the word ‘rice’. Each of those terms bears a unique reality/meaning. Similarly, the Eskimos have over one hundred phrases for ‘snow’. These differences in words make it possible for users of these languages to see vital facets of their culture differently.
During the time Whorf learned the Hopi’s language, he found out that they were a broad group divided into tribes and so their cultures were entirely different. According to him, this was as a result of their differences in language. Such differences include their interpretation of the term ‘time’. To speakers of English language, time may be classified into speed, moments, hour, day or year. On the other hand time to the Hopi means an un-ending stream. So if I was to say to a Hopi man, ‘don’t waste my time’, he will not understand because how can you waste that which never

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