A Positive Look at the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis; How this Effect Affects English
In this paper, I present the various views of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, which is the idea that language affects the way we think and ultimately how we see the world. Developed by Benjamin Lee Whorf and Edward Sapir, the stronger version of this hypothesis argues that language determines thought, while the weaker version suggests that language influences but does not determine our thoughts. I argue in support of the weaker version of this hypothesis, using not only Sapir and Whorf’s own work as evidence but also the differing views that scholars hold of this hypothesis. More specifically, I examine studies by Hoffman, Lau, and Johnson (1986), Prins and Ulijin (1998), and Fausey and Boroditsky (2011), as support for the weaker version of the hypothesis. Ultimately I present my own version of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, which is that all the languages in the world may be used as a way to communicate though not necessarily in the same way.
Linguistics, The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, Linguistic Relativity, Linguistic Determinism
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