Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Language and Thought: The Influence of Languages on Human Thought Processes: What About Geographic Languages?

This is a very interesting article by Guy Deutscher on human languages and their influence on thought processes. We do not all think the same, and language has something to do with it.

One example is geographic language. In English, directions are usually given from the position of the person giving them, right, left, forward, turn, etc. Speakers of Guugu Yimithirr report everything by the cardinal directions of the heavens.

Does Your Language Shape How You Think? - NYTimes.com
"Guy Deutscher is an honorary research fellow at the School of Languages, Linguistics and Cultures at the University of Manchester. His new book, from which this article is adapted, is “Through the Language Glass: Why the World Looks Different in Other Languages,” to be published this month by Metropolitan Books."

Friday, August 20, 2010