word

Whorfian Hypothesis / Linguistic Relativity

WHOR-fee-un hy-POTH-uh-sis

/ˈwɔːrfiən haɪˈpɒθɪsɪs/

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Syllable breakdown

whorfianhypothesis

Dictionary meaning

The proposal associated with Benjamin Lee Whorf (and Edward Sapir) that the structure of a language influences or determines its speakers' worldview and cognitive categories. The weak form (linguistic relativity) is widely supported; the strong form (linguistic determinism) is disputed.

Examples

Research on color terms has been used to test the Whorfian hypothesis, examining whether language shapes color perception.

Both traditions use 'linguistic relativity'; 'Sapir-Whorf' is common in North America.

Synonyms: Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, linguistic relativity, linguistic determinism

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