<p>This work concerns the linguistic relativity hypothesis, also known as the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, which, in its most general form claims that ‘lan-guage’ influences ‘thought’. Past studies into linguistic relativity have treated various aspects of both thought and language, but a growing body of literature has recently emerged, in this thesis referred to as neo-Whorfian, that empirically investigates thought and language from a cross-linguistic perspective and claims that the grammar or lexicon of a particular language influences the speakers’ non-linguistic thought.</p><p>The present thesis examines the assumptions about language that underlie this claim and criticizes the neo-Whorfian arguments from the point of view that they are based on misleading notions of language. The critique focuses on the operationalization of thought, language, and culture as separate vari-ables in the neo-Whorfian empirical investigations. The neo-Whorfian stud-ies explore language primarily as ‘particular languages’ and investigate its role as a variable standing in a causal relation to the ‘thought’ variable. Tho-ught is separately examined in non-linguistic tests and found to ‘correlate’ with language.</p><p>As a contrast to the neo-Whorfian view of language, a few examples of other approaches to language, referred to in the thesis as sociocultural appro-aches, are reviewed. This perspective on language places emphasis on prac-tice and communication rather than on particular languages, which are vie-wed as secondary representations. It is argued that from a sociocultural per-spective, language as an integrated practice cannot be separated from tho-ught and culture. The empirical findings in the neo-Whorfian studies need not be rejected, but they should be interpreted differently. The findings of linguistic and cognitive diversity reflect different communicational practices in which language cannot be separated from non-language.</p>

This work concerns the linguistic relativity hypothesis, also known as the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, which, in its most general form claims that ‘lan-guage’ influences ‘thought’. Past studies into linguistic relativity have treated various aspects of both thought and language, but a growing body of literature has recently emerged, in this thesis referred to as neo-Whorfian, that empirically investigates thought and language from a cross-linguistic perspective and claims that the grammar or lexicon of a particular language influences the speakers’ non-linguistic thought. The present thesis examines the assumptions about language that underlie this claim and criticizes the neo-Whorfian arguments from the point of view that they are based on misleading notions of language. The critique focuses on the operationalization of thought, language, and culture as separate vari-ables in the neo-Whorfian empirical investigations. The neo-Whorfian stud-ies explore language primarily as ‘particular languages’ and investigate its role as a variable standing in a causal relation to the ‘thought’ variable. Tho-ught is separately examined in non-linguistic tests and found to ‘correlate’ with language. As a contrast to the neo-Whorfian view of language, a few examples of other approaches to language, referred to in the thesis as sociocultural appro-aches, are reviewed. This perspective on language places emphasis on prac-tice and communication rather than on particular languages, which are vie-wed as secondary representations. It is argued that from a sociocultural per-spective, language as an integrated practice cannot be separated from tho-ught and culture. The empirical findings in the neo-Whorfian studies need not be rejected, but they should be interpreted differently. The findings of linguistic and cognitive diversity reflect different communicational practices in which language cannot be separated from non-language.

The linguistic relativity hypothesis (LRH), otherwise known as the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis (SWH), has been passionately debated over the last 60 years. It has undergone a renewed upsurge in scientific, anthropological and social interest. Several attempts have been made to prove or disprove the moderate version of the theory without producing conclusive results. This study analyses the history of the LRH and attempts to clarify its uses and limitations pertaining to ESL discourse in Swedish upper-secondary schools. Pedagogical implications of the study indicate that, if the LRH is correct, there could be a colossal, logistical impact on the national testing of semantic information in English studies which would have to be addressed in order to effectively and fairly assess every student based on their individual, cognitive skills and culturally influenced knowledge of language.

Syftet med den här uppsatsen är att undersöka vilken världsbild som förmedlas till förskolebarn i en norrbottnisk kommun och hur den världsbild som förmedlas förhåller sig till läroplanen och det den säger om jämställdhet mellan könen. Förmedlas en jämställd eller en ojämställd världsbild? Undersökningen består av ett primärmaterial och ett sekundärmaterial. Primärmaterialet består av tio barnsånger som förekommer i förskoleverksamheten i den representerade kommunen. Med textanalyser belagda med genusperspektiv analyseras primärmaterialet både kvantitativ och kvalitativt. Sekundärmaterialet består av fyra kvalitativa intervjuer med fem pedagoger som arbetar i kommunens förskoleverksamhet och ska fungera som ett komplement till primärmaterialet. Det som undersöks är hur sångerna framställer erfarenheter av världen, vem sångerna i typfallet framställer som aktiv, hur språket i sångerna ser ut på lexikal nivå, om kvinnor och män är lika synliga i texterna och om pedagogerna ute i förskoleverksamheten är könsmedvetna. Resultatet visar att sångerna förmedlar en övervägande jämställd världsbild samtidigt som de lämnar lite mer att önska då språket i dem på kvinnans bekostnad tenderar att göra mannen synlig, framställa honom som aktiv samt låta honom representera arten eller normen. Resultatet visar även att pedagogerna ute i förskoleverksamheten ofta är könsmedvetna utan att de vet om det. Slutsatsen av detta blir att pedagogernas förhållningsätt till jämställdhet i förskolemiljön svarar mot läroplanen och det den säger om jämställdhet mellan könen medan sångtexterna lämnar lite mer att önska när man ställer dem mot läroplanens jämställdhetskriterier.

Ce mémoire s'intéresse à l'hypothèse de la relativité linguistique, selon laquelle la langue exercerait une certaine influence sur la pensée, sur la façon de se représenter la réalité. Cette hypothèse, connue sous le nom d'hypothèse Whorf-Sapir en l'honneur de ceux qui l'ont popularisée, a été beaucoup critiquée, voire ridiculisée, parce que jugée indéfendable. Or, dans les deux dernières décennies, la linguistique cognitive s'est intéressée à cette hypothèse, se l'est réappropriée et a cherché à démontrer que la langue avait effectivement son mot à dire dans la structuration de la pensée. Selon la perspective cognitiviste de la relativité linguistique - dans laquelle s'inscrit ce travail -, la langue peut effectivement avoir une influence sur la perception et la mémoire que l'on a de certaines situations; en fait, la structure d'une langue rendrait ses locuteurs attentifs à certains aspects de l'expérience du monde contenus dans les catégories grammaticales obligatoires. L'aspect sur lequel nous nous penchons est celui de la catégorisation spatiale. Plus précisément, nous nous intéressons aux systèmes de prépositions spatiales de l'espagnol et du français. Ces deux langues, pourtant très près l'une de l'autre, ne font pas le même découpage conceptuel spatial, n'expriment pas les relations spatiales de la même façon. Dans ce mémoire, nous avons cherché à découvrir quel découpage conceptuel faisaient les locuteurs de l'espagnol en ce qui a trait aux relations de contenance et de support (par les prépositions en, dentro de et sobre) et aux relations spatiales sur l'axe vertical (exprimées par les prépositions en, sobre, encima de, por encima de, arriba de et por arriba de). Nous avons ensuite comparé nos conclusions avec nos connaissances sur le système prépositionnel spatial français et avons tenté d'analyser ces différences sous l'angle relativiste. Nous avons réfléchi à la question de savoir si les différences observées entre les deux systèmes linguistiques pouvaient impliquer des différences conceptuelles et perceptuelles. ______________________________________________________________________________ MOTS-CLÉS DE L’AUTEUR : relativité linguistique, linguistique cognitive, catégorisation spatiale, prépositions, français, espagnol.

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Die Arbeit prüft, inwieweit die Übersetzungstheorien von Otto Kade et al., Werner Koller und die Skopostheorie das Problem der kulturgebundenen Farbwortvielfalt bei der Übersetzung zu lösen versuchen. Im ersten Teil wird hierfür der Grundstein gelegt, indem interdisziplinäres Wissen auf die Bildung von Farbbezeichnungen, ihrer Herkunft und ihrer biologischen und physikalischen Grundsätze angewendet wird. In diesem Zusammenhang wird auch die Sapir-Whorf-Hypothese diskutiert. Die Etymologie bestehender Farbbezeichnungen verschiedenster Sprachen bildet dabei das Zentrum, sowohl für die Erklärung der Farbwahrnehmung und die Kulturgebundenheit ihrer Bezeichnungen als auch der Neuschöpfung von Farbbezeichnungen in den Übersetzungssituationen. Anhand fiktiver Übersetzungssituationen aus dem Alltag wird der Übersetzungsprozess für jede Übersetzungstheorie simuliert und aus ihrer Sicht verfolgt. Im Abschluss werden die Ergebnisse gegenübergestellt und diskutiert.

Orientador: Eduardo Roberto Junqueira Guimarães / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Estudos da Linguagem / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-18T03:58:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Machado_IsadoraLima_M.pdf: 1454853 bytes, checksum: 5f27d4ea37de1316d0843d7cdab2e613 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: A partir da perspectiva da História das Idéias Lingüísticas, investigam-se as filiações ao filósofo Friedrich W. Nietzsche (1844-1900) nas Ciências da Linguagem. Perguntando-se sobre os pontos de contato entre as diversas teorias lingüísticas e o pensamento do filósofo, propõe-se a filiação da chamada hipótese Sapir-Whorf à filosofia de Nietzsche. Desse modo, procura-se compreender a constituição das teorias e dos métodos lingüísticos a partir do campo heterogêneo que caracteriza as Ciências da Linguagem. Apresenta-se com esse fim um panorama do problema da linguagem em Nietzsche e, em seguida, defendem-se os graus de consonância e dissonância entre os autores. Desse modo, argumenta-se que Nietzsche é uma condição de possibilidade para o pensamento de E. Sapir e B. Whorf. No jogo entre memória e esquecimento, é sempre lembrado o nome de W. von Humboldt enquanto "precursor" da hipótese. Percebe-se, entretanto, que no gesto epistemológico de "olhar para trás" em busca de bases, muitas vezes os autores, quando "voltam" desse gesto, o fazem já afetados por toda uma gama de outras idéias que modificaram a primeira, e é nesse sentido que se apresenta a filiação da hipótese a Nietzsche / Abstract: As from the point of view of History of Linguistic Ideas, the research investigates the filiations to the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1990) on the Language Sciences. By questioning the contact points between the various linguistic theories and the philosopher's thoughts, the filiation of the so-called Sapir-Whorf hypothesis to Nietzsche's philosophy is proposed. Thus, It seeks the understanding on the linguistic theories and methods constitution, as from the heterogeneous field that characterizes the Language Sciences. In order to do so, it presents an overview on the matter of language at Nietzsche and, thereafter, the levels of consonance and dissonance among the authors are endorsed. Hence, it is defended that Nietzsche represents a condition of possibility for E. Sapir and B. Whorf's reasoning. As in the play-off between memory and forgetfulness, the name of W. von Humboldt is always recalled as the "forerunner" of the hypothesis. It can be perceived, however, that on the epistemological act of "looking back" in search for ground, the authors often "return" from this gesture rather affected by a whole other range of ideas that have, thus, modified the previous ones, and it is in that sense that the hypothesis filiation to Nietzsche presents itself / Mestrado / Linguistica / Mestre em Linguística

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Technology: Language Practice, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2015. / This research is designed to assess the validity of the Sapir Whorf hypothesis in relation to the linguistic and cultural notions of the Yoruba and Zulu language speakers’ via the evaluation of the culture enriched drama text The Lion and The Jewel by Wole Soyinka. The study, which uses both questionnaires and interviews to derive responses from participants, engages both the primary and secondary data throughout the chapters. The study queried both the hypothesis’ strong version, (language governs thought: linguistic classifications restrain and influence mental classifications); and its weak version, (linguistic classifications and their use influence thought as well as some other classes of non-linguistic activities) and their possible reliability. Participants’ ages were between 16 and 46 years old who all speak both English and isiZulu (isiZulu-speaking participants) and English and Yoruba (Yoruba-speaking participants). Questionnaires were used and interviews were conducted, the research questions were answered and the findings provided support for validity of the linguistic relativity hypothesis, that is, languages indeed influence thought. The findings also revealed that linguistic influence on cognition is not limited to different language speakers alone, but also same language speakers per level of exposure to other languages and concepts. Based on these findings, recommendations have been made. Among which is the soliciting more research on language and culture (acculturation and enculturation) such that societal peace, love, unity and development can be maintained and promoted in any monolingual, bilingual or multilingual society. Also, educators should be aware of the possibility of a psycholinguistic influence on thought and assimilate it into schools’ curriculum so that multiculturation is fully adopted and promoted in the schools.

This thesis is concerned with the correlation between cultural values and the semantic content of words over time; toward this purpose, the research focuses on Judeo-Christian religious terminology in the English language. The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis is of central interest to this study, and the implications of the hypothesis, including a bidirectional interpretation allowing for both the influence of language on worldview and culture on language, is of great relevance to the research findings and conclusions. The paper focuses on the etymology and sources of religious terminology in the English language, the prominent category of terms with both religious and secular applications attained through semantic shift, and the role of religious words as English taboo. The research findings imply that a bidirectional understanding of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis is the correct one. This is achieved both through analysis of historical events and linguistic development which emphasize the speaker's role in language development and through the study of societal values that are reinforced through linguistic practices, namely taboo.