Sapir-Whorf hypothesis

Sapir-Whorf hypothesis

the thesis that linguistic categories structure perceptual and cognitive ones. Two US anthropologists, Edward Sapir (1884-1934) and his student Benjamin Lee Whorf (1897-1941) are credited with this theory of linguistic relativism. Essentially the position states that our language structures our perception of the world. Whorf demonstrates this with his work on Hopi Indians, who appeared to have different concepts of space, time and matter from 'Standard Average European’ language speakers. Another common example is the plurality of Inuit (Eskimo) words for 'snow’, supposedly illustrating that they are attuned to elements of their environment that a non-Inuit would be unable to recognize. The strong version of the hypothesis is now rarely accepted, but debate still continues as to where language ends and material culture and social structure begin. See also RELATIVISM, FORM OF LIFE.

Collins Dictionary of Sociology, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2000