In the field of linguistics there are many hotly debated topics. However, few are as controversial as the debate over how language affects culture. Some say that a language affects the way a person thinks while others hold that a word isn't needed to think about a certain concept.

     Probably the most highly debated topic in the language-culture discussion is the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis. Don't be intimidated by the scary name! It's a simple idea. All it means is that the grammar of a language or range of its vocabulary limits the speaker's thoughts. For example, if a language doesn’t have separate terms for brother and half-brother, it will be much harder for someone to understand the difference.

     Another aspect of the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis is that the way a language's grammar is structured will also change how a person thinks. For instance, if a language has no past, present or future tenses, then the speakers of the language will not be able to discuss these concepts.

     The opposing idea is that we all have the ability to think the same thoughts regardless of our grammar or vocabulary restrictions. In other words, our thoughts are innately human regardless of the language that we speak. One of the large problems with Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis is that words can be translated from any language into English and that any ideas that can be expressed in one language can be expressed in another, albeit sometimes with more difficulty.

     This question of how language affects culture (and vice versa) is a fascinating topic. Finding the answers to it will reveal a lot about how the human mind works. Whether or not Sapir and Whorf's hypothesis was correct will probably continue to be discussed for many years as more evidence accumulates.

Sources:

Stafford, Amy. "The Whorf Hypothesis Examined." EMuseum @ Minnesota State University. Minnesota State University. Accessed 9 Mar 2009. <http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/cultural/language/whorf.html>

Swoyer, Chris. "The Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy 2003. Accessed 9 Mar 2009. <http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/relativism/supplement2.html>.