|
|
Sapir defined language as “a purely human and non-instinctive method of communicating ideas, emotions and desires by means of voluntary produced symbols.” Perception is defined as “opinion judged on your own experience.” Therefore, language, a non-instinctive voluntary form of communication can express ones own experiences and interpretations. However it is also possible that the thought realm is too large to express in spoken words and language is still developing to accommodate for these thoughts and expressions. Linguistic Determinism is central to consider in this discussion. This refers to the idea that the language we use to some extent determines the way in which we view and think about the world around us. The concept has generally been divided into two separate groups, 'strong' determinism and 'weak' determinism. Strong determinism is the extreme version of the theory, stating that language actually determines thought. However, there is a great deal of evidence, which opposes ‘strong’ determinism. Weak determinism suggests that thought is merely affected by or influenced by our language. Linguistic relativity states that distinctions encoded in one language are unique to that language alone, and that "there is no limit to the structural diversity of languages".
|
