How Language Shapes Your Worldview | by Elan Kesilman-Davin | Read or Die — HQ | May, 2024 | Medium
Imagine waking up one day in a world where the sky isn’t just ‘blue.’ It’s not one but fifty different shades, each with its unique name. Sounds like a fantasy, right? But for the Himba tribe in Namibia, this is their reality. They have numerous words for blue, each describing a different shade that you or I might call ‘blue.’ This tidbit raises an interesting question: Does our language shape how we see the world? Beyond increasing our vocabulary, the very structure of our language can mold our thoughts and perceptions. This concept, known as ‘linguistic relativity,’ suggests that speakers of different languages may experience the world differently. It’s a portal into the heart of language and thought, where every word can be a portal to a new way of seeing. Now, let’s step back in time to where it all began. The story of linguistic relativity isn’t a new one. In fact, it takes us back to the early 20th century. Meet the pioneers of this idea: Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf. Sapi
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