Search results

1

Toponyms and spatial representations

100%

Reszegi K.

Onomastica

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2020

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vol. 64

23-39

EN

This paper addresses an interesting issue in name theory, specifically the relationship between toponyms and spatial representations, as well as the cultural differences manifesting themselves in connection with these. Studies have shown that the name model (a general knowledge of names) created based on the mental representation of names is partly language and culture dependent. Thus, the knowledge of the speaker on how reliably the toponyms correlate with the actual features of the landscape or whether they should only be considered as labels identifying an area is culturally determined. This, in turn, influences the extent to which name-users may rely on them in structuring space and in creating a cognitive map.

2

Linguistic Relativity and Its Relation to Analytic Philosophy

92%

Batisti F.

Studia Semiotyczne

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2017

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vol. 31

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issue 2

201–226

EN

The history of so-called ‘linguistic relativity’ is an odd and multifaceted one. After knowing alternate fortunes and being treated by different academic branches, today there are some new ways of investigating the language-thought-reality problem that (i) put into dialogue the latest trends in language-related disciplines (ii) generate room for philosophical themes previously overlooked, (iii) reassess the very idea of linguistic relativity, despite its popularized versions which have circulated for decades and which have led an otherwise fruitful debate to extremes. It is argued that a multidisciplinary approach is desirable in order to broaden future research. In the last few years the opportunity to study this matter following a common trend in several disciplines has been created. Language, and cognition too, are now conceived as intrinsically social phenomena. It is argued that relativistic effects should be investigated in social realms, and that analytic philosophy could help with this task.

3

Is reality really real or is it just a colorful rainbow of sensations that we perceive as being real?

81%

Istrate V.

Concordia Discors vs Discordia Concors: Researches into Comparative Literature, Contrastive Linguistics, Cross-Cultural and Translation Strategies

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2020

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vol. 13

105-120

EN

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the methods which are used to mislead the public perception towards reality. I will discuss and try to determine the nature of the relationship between the language we use and the reality we create through words. The close examination of words, the correlation of different advised opinions and the study of particular aspects in language will become dominant features in this study. The linguistic relativity or the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis has as a primary concern the fact that the spoken language has an important and immediate impact upon the speaker.

4

Bi-/multilingualism and the perceptions of the gender of objects

81%

Chłopek Z.

Glottodidactica

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2010

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vol. 36

45-56

EN

The newest research confirms the ‘weak’ version of the linguistic relativity hypothesis, according to which the language we speak influences to some extent the way we think. At the same time, it has been shown that the conceptual representations of reality which have been shaped by the mother tongue from birth play a significant role while using an L2 (L3 etc.), especially when it is weaker than the L1. The present article describes one such conceptual domain – the (non-linguistic) categorization of objects according to their perceived gender, which is influenced by the grammatical gender of their names.

5

How Relevant Is the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis to Contemporary Psycholinguistic Research?

81%

Latkowska J.

Theory and Practice of Second Language Acquisition

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2015

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vol. 1

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issue 1

EN

The paper raises the question of whether the linguistic relativity proposal, also known as the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis, should be used as a frame of reference for modern research into the relationship of language to cognition. The question is discussed in the context of Whorf’s (1956) writings, with emphasis on factors that are crucial to the proposal, i.e. language, thought, and behavior.The second issue addressed by the paper is whether linguistic categories provide an accurate window on cognition, as was suggested by Whorf and in some of the more recent debates. The analysis takes the form of a correlational study which examines the categorization criteria applied in tests that require language-based and language-neutral judgments.

6

Effects of the Linguistic Context on Identity Relevant Self-Characterization in Bilinguals

81%

KONDÉ Z., PÁNTYA J., DÓSA Z., POLONYI T.

Applied Linguistics Papers

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2018

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issue 25/2

21-36

EN

A survey was conducted among Hungarian-Romanian-English multilinguals (N=237) with the aim of investigating the individual differences in cultural preferences and value priorities. Participants completed questionnaires measuring: (a) the individual level of national identification (Collective SelfEsteem); (b) own-culture preference (Patriotism); (c) ethnocentric proclivity toward other cultures (Generalized Ethnocentrism Scale); and, (d) the relative importance of 10 universal value types (Portrait Values Questionnaire) in three groups. Native (Hungarian) and acquired languages (Romanian, English) were used for filling out questionnaires for the three groups. Linguistic effects appeared on ethnocentrism, patriotism and collective aspects of self-esteem, but the effects were absent on personal aspect of self-esteem and prevailingly on value priorities. Results may indicate a kind of linguistic relativity in identity relevant self-characterization.

7

Experimentální výzkum gramatického vidu a způsobu slovesného děje : jazyková relativita a vidové vynucení

58%

Chromý J.

Naše řeč (Our Speech)

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2018

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vol. 101

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issue 4

189-203

EN

The paper presents the second part of the review of experimental research on grammatical or lexical aspect. Two main topics are reviewed: the role of aspect in linguistic relativity and the aspectual coercion hypothesis. In the first part of the paper, it is shown that languages with a similar aspectual system can differ widely in their preferences in the description of certain events, and furthermore that these preferences may influence the speakers’ non-linguistic perception of events. The second part of the paper shows that previous studies on aspectual coercion differ both in their methodology and findings and that the very existence of the aspectual coercion phenomenon is not clear yet.

8

Language and Politics in India and China: A Cross-Cultural Comparative Study

58%

Komarzyca D., Fras J.

Polish Political Science Yearbook

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2020

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issue 4 (49)

9-36

EN

This paper provides insights into the relationship between language and politically relevant aspects of culture in India and China which are as follows: attitude toward revolution and tradition, the domination of politics over religion or vice versa, and a concern for the liberty of the individual. The paper introduces a novel approach to the comparative study of civilizations by advancing the political-linguistic explanation. In so doing, it combines Hajime Nakamura’s hypothesis of the strict connection between language and culture (understood as a way of thinking) with Samuel P. Huntington’s emphasis on the impact of cultural differences on the political dimension of society – so that our explanatory model can be expressed as follows: language→culture→politics. As far as language is concerned, the focus is on the basic structure of Sanskrit and Chinese; besides, special attention is given to Indian and Chinese philosophies of language. Culturally, the most relevant schools of Hindu philosophy may be called “ultraconservative” since they tend to ground unchanging meaning firmly in metaphysics and rely on the supreme authority of ancient religious texts. In contrast, the Chinese typically considered language a social mechanism for shaping our behavior (so the relation of language and society is the most crucial); they also expressed clearly divergent views on naming. In short, at least four distinctive perspectives are essential: (1) conservative Confucianism, (2) anti-traditional and highly authoritarian Legalism, (3) egalitarian and linguistically skeptical Laozian Daoism, (4) nonconformist and proto-libertarian Zhuangzian Daoism.

9

Od Whorfa do Whorfa: o rozwoju koncepcji badań nad zasadą względności językowej

58%

Latkowska J.

Etnolingwistyka. Problemy Języka i Kultury

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2023

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vol. 35

89-110

PL

W artykule przedstawiono ścieżkę rozwoju zasady względności językowej sformułowanej w latach 40. ubiegłego stulecia przez językoznawcę antropologa Benjamina Lee Whorfa. Zasada, znana również pod nazwą hipotezy Sapira-Whorfa, traktuje o istnieniu związku przyczynowego pomiędzy kategoriami języka naturalnego a funkcjonowaniem aparatu poznawczego człowieka. Obecnie pogląd ten przeżywa renesans związany z szybkim rozwojem technologii badawczych umożliwiających jego weryfikację. Ponieważ w miarę postępujących badań pojawiły się głosy krytyki, że hipoteza w swej aktualnej postaci nie odzwierciedla poglądów jej autorów lub czyni to w sposób powierzchowny, autorka odnosi się do tych zastrzeżeń, omawiając trzy czynniki, które Whorf uważał za bezpośrednio związane z problemem, a więc myśl, język i zachowanie, oraz konfrontuje je z przyjętymi rozwiązaniami naukowymi. Najogólniej rzecz ujmując, postęp badawczy wymagał przeformułowania podstawowych postulatów Whorfa i nadania im postaci weryfikowalnych hipotez. Konieczne było również uwzględnienie innych obszarów języka, nie tylko gramatyki, na której koncentrował się Whorf. Kolejne etapy badań, wskutek pojawienia się nowych możliwości technologicznych, stopniowo ograniczały udział obserwowalnych zmiennych behawioralnych do nieświadomych reakcji neurofizjologicznych. Ponieważ najbardziej kluczowe odkrycia miały miejsce w warunkach laboratoryjnych, co znacznie ogranicza ich zasięg, powstała potrzeba weryfikacji uzyskanych zależności w kontekście społeczno-kulturowym, co oznacza zwrot w stronę filozofii i metodologii Sapira i Whorfa.

EN

This article presents the evolution of the principle of linguistic relativity, developed in the 1940s by the anthropological linguist Benjamin Lee Whorf. The principle, also known as the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, postulates the existence of a causal relationship between the categories of natural language and the functioning of human cognition. Currently, the hypothesis is experiencing a renaissance, facilitated by a rapid development of research technologies that enable its verification. Since it has been argued that the hypothesis’ current form does not reflect the views of its authors or does so only superficially, the article addresses these concerns by discussing the three factors that Whorf considered to be directly related to the problem, namely thought, language, and behavior, and confronts them with the accepted scientific solutions.Generally speaking, in order to advance research, it was necessary to reformulate Whorf’s postulates as verifiable hypotheses and extend the research to include other areas of language, beyond his main focus on grammar. As new technological possibilities emerged, research gradually confined the number of tested behavioral variables to unconscious neurophysiological reactions. Since the most crucial discoveries took place in laboratory conditions, which significantly limited their scope, the need arose to (re)examine the data thus obtained in socio-cultural contexts. This signals a U-turn back to the philosophy and methodology of the authors of the relativity principle.

10

Jazyk a krajina v antropologickém výzkumu

47%

Mácha P.

Český lid: etnologický časopis (Český lid: Ethnological journal)

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2021

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vol. 108

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issue 4

403-430

EN

Language is a key element in the perception, formation, and reproduction of landscapes and group boundaries. It is effective in at least three dimensions, namely, the inner/cognitive, the outward/appropriative, and the collective/identitarian. The inner dimension refers to the fact that our perception of landscape and our spatial cognition are determined, to a large extent, by the linguistic terms and grammatical structures specific to our language. The outward dimension refers to the capacity of language to project linguistically- and culturally-determined understandings into the physical world and create and appropriate places and landscapes by the act of naming. Finally, the collective dimension points to the importance of the linguistic delimitation of landscapes and their association with group identities. The article summarizes crucial recent findings in all three of the aforementioned dimensions and suggests possibilities for further research.

Refine search results

Toponyms and spatial representations

Linguistic Relativity and Its Relation to Analytic Philosophy

Is reality really real or is it just a colorful rainbow of sensations that we perceive as being real?

Bi-/multilingualism and the perceptions of the gender of objects

How Relevant Is the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis to Contemporary Psycholinguistic Research?

Effects of the Linguistic Context on Identity Relevant Self-Characterization in Bilinguals

Experimentální výzkum gramatického vidu a způsobu slovesného děje : jazyková relativita a vidové vynucení

Language and Politics in India and China: A Cross-Cultural Comparative Study

Od Whorfa do Whorfa: o rozwoju koncepcji badań nad zasadą względności językowej

Jazyk a krajina v antropologickém výzkumu