At 03:04 AM 08/07/2001 -0700, "Michael M. Butler" <butler@comp-lib.org> wrote:
>I'd rather say that the extreme (strong) version of this, as propounded by
>people _after_ Sapir and Whorf, does not find
>strong support. :)
>
>The weak form is almost irrefutable--if you don't have words for
>something, it's hard to talk about it; if you lack
>enough words for something _and_ for talking about it, it can be hard to
>think about it.
>
>Thus, "language limits thought"; but IIRC, neither Sapir nor Whorf
>actually said that in anything they wrote, and
>certainly not the strong stuff their followers put up.
The strong version of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis basically
says that language *determines* thought and behavior.
The weak version basically says that language *has some
influence* on thought and behavior.
Opponents of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis typically attack
only the strong version while failing to even mention the
weak version.
The best book I know of covering this is 'The Language
Imperative: The Power of Language to Enrich Your Life
and Expand Your Mind' by Suzette Haden Elgin
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0738204285/qid=997192446/sr=1-4/ref=
sc_b_4/103-8355614-3123861>
About the Author
Suzette Haden Elgin received her Ph.D. from the
University of California, San Diego. A specialist in
applied psycholinguistics, she is the author of the
best-selling Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense series,
which consists of thirteen books and two audio
programs. She is also the founder and director
of the Ozark Center for Language Studies.
Book Description
How multilingualism enhances the human experience
and why our decisions about "English Only" language
policies are shortsighted. Many of us view language as
a tool, a means by which to communicate our thoughts
and emotions. But is there more to language than just
"talk"? Can learning languages actually change the way
you think? In The Language Imperative, best-selling
author and linguistic scholar Suzette Haden Elgin
examines the power of language to shape our lives.
She confronts some of the most pressing issues parents
and educators face today: Is it a good or bad idea for
Americans to have command of more than one language?
Should learning languages be a luxury for only the rich?
Or should it be a goal of the public educational system
as well? Based on solid science and filled with personal
insights, The Language Imperative is required reading
for anyone interested in how words shape our lives,
both as individuals and as a nation.
Frederick Mann
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Fri Oct 12 2001 - 14:40:03 MDT