Answer: the proposition that diverse interpretations of reality embodied in
languages yield demonstrable influences on thought
Linguistic Relativity
The hypothesis of linguistic relativity also known as the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis / s ə ˌ p ɪər ˈ w ɔːr f / the Whorf hypothesis or Whorfianism is a principle suggesting that the structure of a language affects its speakers' worldview or cognition and thus people's perceptions are relative to their spoken language.
The linguistic relativity hypothesis the proposal that the particular language we speak influences the way we think about reality forms one part of the broader question of how language influences thought.
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Linguistic relativity is a general term used to refer to various hypotheses or positions about the relationship between language and culture (see Sapir–Whorf Hypothesis). Although Sapir and Whorf differed in their discussion of the relationship between language and culture and never produced a joint formulation of what is meant by linguistic relativity there is no question that the themes and issues often identified as linguistic relativity are the continuation of the Boasian paradigm.
The theory of linguistic relativity states that the structure of a language influences the way its speakers conceptualize the world. The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis discusses the grammatical structure of a particular language and how it influences its speakers' perceptions of the world.
The linguistic relativity hypothesis posits that languages mold our cognitive faculties and determine the way we behave and interact in society. This hypothesis is also called the Sapir-Wharf hypothesis which is actually a misnomer since Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf never co-authored the theory.
Like many other relativistic themes the hypothesis of linguistic relativity became a serious topic of discussion in late-eig...