Analysis of Language and its Relation to Thought and Culture

No two individuals see the world through the same lens. We are all molded by our culture, family, peers, and language to see the world in a uniquely personal way. But, just because one culture’s language may not have specific words or phrases for certain things does not mean that they do not have the capacity for understanding that thing. Benjamin Lee Whorf (1974) attempts to put some evidence behind this claim through his article “The Relation of Habitual Thought and Behavior to Language.” He uses two distinct ideas: the concepts of “time” and “matter” as well as the connection between cultural norms and linguistic practices.

Although only two languages, Hopi and Standard Average European, are discussed, Whorf’s ideas can still be used today when finding similarities and differences between two languages and the cultures the languages reside from. This is especially present when living and studying on a public college campus like the University of Cincinnati.

In the United States, there never seems to be enough time. To Americans, each day is an entirely new day. Yes, some of the same tasks are carried out, but they are not necessarily dependent on the previous day, and they are never usually carried out in an identical fashion. This is similar to SAE, who believe that “time is on a motion on a space,” and the idea of repetition is simply “units of space…wasted” (Whorf, 1974, p. 80). We try to work efficiently and effectively to get every ounce of time day in and day out, rather than looking at the larger picture. We carry with us “an imaginary space, full of mental surrogates,” that allow us to begin to picture time and space (Whorf, 1974, p.79). But this also leads to a distraction, we tend to pinpoint the one thing we are seeing, and we become more concerned with the task at hand rather than the overall big picture.

The Hopi language on the other hand sees time as a complete opposite. For them, “time is not a motion but a getting later of everything that has ever been done” (Whorf, 1974, p.81). Their thought world has no imaginary space, but rather, their thoughts influence the real world around them (Whorf, 1974, p.80). For example, Whorf talks about the idea of a rosebush. If a Hopi has “a good thought…it is good for the plant; if a bad thought, the reverse” (Whorf, 1974, p. 80). This allows for them to focus on the bigger picture—surviving. They want to continually have a repetition of these good thoughts versus bad thoughts because they lead to overall survival. Having good thoughts leads them to having a good life, and vice versa.

Therefore, they see repetition as not wasted, but rather accumulated. Unlike Americans and SAE who have the mindset of having to get everything accomplished for that day because each day is a new day, the Hopi slow down and see time as a continuation. Earlier phases (time) have already prepared the present (time) (Whorf, 1974, p. 78). There is no need to rush but rather take the time to prepare and carry out repetition because it will benefit you in the later phases (time) and in the bigger picture.

As a college student, this is very relatable to my language and culture. I am an English-speaking white female living on a college campus. I was born and raised in this American culture in which time is precious and there are never enough hours in the day. I was taught to focus on the task at hand rather than seeing the overall picture. Due to this, I have developed a lot of stress and anxiety within myself. I tend to overwhelm myself rather than seeing the overall picture in front of me. Although this helps me to keep up with the fast-paced world of college, it hinders me from seeing how what I am currently doing affects my future. If, instead I was raised in the Hopi language and culture I may be able to see the overall picture and not stress as much in the smaller tasks at hand. I may help my mental health and overall be happier. On the other hand, though, this type of lifestyle and thinking may cause me to fall behind from my peers around me. This ultimately shows why I think culture has a big impact on your literacy and your perceptions of time and space.

In Living Language, chapter five, Laura Ahern (2011) even goes on to state that it is “impossible to separate something called language from the two…called thought and culture” (p. 92-93). In previous classes this semester, we studied how the environment that you are born and raised in prepares you through acquisition and socialization to in-turn become an active member of it. For example, we talked about two methods: language development in America, and the Kaluli Development. In the first, caregivers work to make the infant feel as though they are a communicative partner through a self-lowering strategy, child-raising strategy, and expansions (Ahern, 2011, p. 70-71). In the second, they have triadic exchanges, shaming, and no expansion; they want to harden the child (Ahern, 2011, p. 70-71). Although both develop children differently, the children still learn to become active members of their community and acquire language. Neither is raised right or wrong, but rather raised with the surrounding way of life that has helped with the survival of that group up until this point. Our cultures and our environment therefore lead to the way we think, speak, and perceive the world.

The Hopi, for example appear to be wasting precious time. In reality, they have a different set of cultural and environmental influences working together (Whorf, 1974, p.85). They lived in a “land of scanty rainfall, arid agriculture that could be made successful only by the utmost perseverance” (Whorf, 1974, p.85). This could explain why this culture slowly developed the idea that preparation, persistence, and repetition were so important to survival. They began to develop a language around these concepts and a perception of time and space (Whorf, 1974, p.85). What they do one day, accumulates into the next day. SAE on the other hand seem to appear careless. They simply want to get the task done as fast as they can without thinking about the future consequences. They seem to have “a sense of security or an assumption that all will go smoothly” (Whorf, 1974, p.83). They are in a large abundant area in which they do not have to worry as much about sustaining for future life. This lifestyle in a small isolated society like the Hopi would end in disaster.

I feel this begins to tie in another aspect that Ahern (2017) does not specifically state in her material— the idea of environment affecting language, thought, and culture as well. As mentioned above in this analysis, the environments of the SAE and Hopi had a huge impact on the way their cultures developed—especially thinking and speaking. Without a surrounding environment discussed, there would not have been a clear reason as to why the SAE and Hopi perceived life the way that they did. Say for example the Hopi lived in a luscious fertile land with plenty of rain. This may have led to them not developing the need for preparation, persistence, and repetition. Therefore, environment also plays a key role in this idea of culture, language, and thought.

Neither the SAE or the Hopi are right or wrong in their idea of time and space. Whorf (1974) uses research and evidence of Newton to explain in his article that “Newtonian space, time, and matter are not intuitions. They are precepts of thought and culture” (p. 82). The environment we are raised in and taught in is what we know. Yes, we have the capabilities to challenge this and learn more, but it is a process. If we are taught to see space and time in a certain way, then we think our way is correct and other’s way is wrong. Just because one individual may perceive something differently than another does not mean he/she is wrong. It simply means we need to learn to be empathetic and try to see through their view of the world, their language, their culture. By doing this, we as a species grow as individuals and learn how to stop being ethnocentric and become open to learning how environment, language, thought, and culture are all intertwined.