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Relativizing Linguistic Relativity Investigating Underlying Assumptions About Language in the Neo-Whorfian Literature

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Relativizing Linguistic Relativity Investigating Underlying Assumptions About Language in the Neo-Whorfian Literature ACTA UNIVERSITATIS UPSALIENSIS Studia Linguistica Upsaliensia 6 Relativizing linguistic relativity Investigating underlying assumptions about language in the neo-Whorfian literature INGRID BJÖRK Dissertation presented at Uppsala University to be publicly examined in Ihresalen, Engelska parken. Humanistiskt centrum, Thunbergsvägen 3H, Uppsala, Friday, May 16, 2008 at 13:15 for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. The examination will be conducted in English. Abstract Björk, I. 2008. Relativizing linguistic relativity. Investigating underlying assumptions about language in the neo-Whorfian literature. Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis. Studia Linguistica Upsaliensia 6. 145 pp. Uppsala. ISBN 978-91-554-7182-8. This work concerns the linguistic relativity hypothesis, also known as the Sapir-Whorf hy- pothesis, which in its most general form claims that ‘language’ influences ‘thought’. Past studies of linguistic relativity have treated various aspects of both thought and language, but a growing body of literature has recently emerged, in this thesis referred to as neo-Whorfian, that empirically investigates thought and language from a cross-linguistic perspective and claims that the grammar or lexicon of a particular language influences the speakers’ non- linguistic thought. The present thesis examines the assumptions about language that underlie this claim and criticizes the neo-Whorfian arguments as being based on misleading notions of language. The critique focuses on the operationalization of thought, language, and culture as separate vari- ables in the neo-Whorfian empirical investigations. The neo-Whorfian studies explore lan- guage primarily as ‘particular languages’ and investigate its role as a variable standing in a causal relation to the ‘thought’ variable. Thought is separately examined in non-linguistic tests and found to ‘correlate’ with language. As a contrast to the neo-Whorfian view of language, a few examples of other approaches to language, referred to in the thesis as sociocultural approaches, are reviewed. This perspec- tive on language emphasizes practice and communication rather than particular languages, which are viewed as secondary representations. It is argued that from a sociocultural perspec- tive, language as an integrated practice cannot be separated from thought and culture. The empirical findings in the neo-Whorfian studies need not be rejected, but they should be inter- preted differently. The findings of linguistic and cognitive diversity reflect different commu- nicative practices wherein language cannot be separated from non-language. Keywords: Linguistic relativity hypothesis, Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, Language and thought, Neo-Whorfianism Ingrid Björk, Department of Linguistics and Philology, Box 635, Uppsala University, SE- 75126 Uppsala, Sweden © Ingrid Björk 2008 ISSN 1652-1366 ISBN 978-91-554-7182-8 urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-8679 (http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-8679) Printed in Sweden by Edita Västra Aros, Västerås 2008 Distributor: Uppsala University Library, Box 510, SE-751 20 Uppsala www.uu.se, [email protected] Contents Acknowledgements.........................................................................................7 1 Introduction..................................................................................................9 1.1 The idea behind the linguistic relativity hypothesis.............................9 1.2 Aim.....................................................................................................11 1.2 Disposition of the thesis .....................................................................12 2 Historical background................................................................................15 3 Case studies of linguistic relativity ............................................................20 3.1 Number marking ................................................................................20 3.2 Spatial words in Korean .....................................................................29 3.3 Spatial frames of reference.................................................................34 3.3.1 Types of frames of reference ......................................................35 3.3.2 Frames of reference in a Guugu Yimithirr community ..............36 3.3.3 Frames of reference in a Tzeltal community ..............................44 3.3.4 Frames of reference in a large cross-linguistic sample...............47 3.4 A summary of the arguments for linguistic relativity ........................50 3.4.1 Studying language and thinking separately ................................51 3.4.2 Establishing a correlation ...........................................................52 3.4.3 The variables of the correlation ..................................................52 3.4.4 Establishing a causal relation......................................................53 3.4.5 Explaining the mechanisms behind linguistic relativity .............56 4 The debate on neo-Whorfian studies .........................................................59 4.1 Non-linguistic thinking is not affected by language...........................59 4.2 Grammar is shaped by culture............................................................69 4.3 Questioning the assumptions behind the relativity hypothesis...........72 5 Basic assumptions about language, thought and culture in the case studies and the debate ...............................................................................................81 5.1 Language versus languages................................................................82 5.1.1 Language from non-grammatical perspectives...........................83 5.1.2 Languages...................................................................................99 5.1.3 Language versus languages in the neo-Whorfian literature......100 5.1.4 Language versus languages from a sociocultural perspective ..104 5.2 Language versus non-language ........................................................107 5.3 Language acquisition and conceptual development.........................118 5.4 Do people think differently because they speak different languages? ................................................................................................................125 6 Summary and concluding remarks...........................................................129 References...................................................................................................139 Acknowledgements Although writing this thesis has often felt like a solitary task, many people have contributed in different ways. To them I would like to express my deepest gratitude. First, I wish to thank Sven Öhman, who supervised the first portion of my doctoral studies. With his deep insight into the fundamental questions of linguistics, Sven awakened my interest in the kinds of problems that I have been struggling with in this thesis, and gave me the opportunity to participate in the project Language and Human Action, within which the present work was undertaken. My most sincere thanks go to Åke Viberg, my supervisor after Sven Öh- mans retirement, for providing valuable comments and suggestions, and for sharing his experience and vast knowledge of linguistics. I feel deeply indebted to Pär Segerdahl, my assistant supervisor, who has generously encouraged me and taken the time to continuously read and dis- cuss what I have written. These discussions and Pär’s theoretical expertise have contributed enormously to the quality of this thesis. Without his in- sightful criticism and comments it would have been much the poorer. I also wish to thank John Sören Petterson, my opponent in the final semi- nar, who provided most valuable feedback on my manuscript. Jenny Wiksten Folkeryd, Åsa af Geijerstam and Ulrika Serrander took the time to read and comment on earlier drafts of the thesis. I also thank Bengt Dahlqvist for our discussions on the art of statistics. I am grateful to all those who have offered valuable comments at semi- nars in Uppsala, and to Sören Stenlund for giving me the opportunity to dis- cuss my ideas at a seminar at the Department of Philosophy. I also wish to thank Everett Thiele for his advice in correcting my English. Finally I wish to thank my husband Iordanis for his help and support and (loud) discussions about various issues related to the work, and our children Niklas, Elin and Sofia, for frequently interrupting me, and reminding me of what the most important things in life really are. Uppsala, April 4, 2008 Ingrid Björk 7 8 1 Introduction The present thesis concerns a specific hypothesis regarding the relationship between language and thought, namely, the linguistic relativity hypothesis, also known as the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. Although the relationship be- tween language and thought is a broad issue which has engaged scholars from the various disciplines of the humanities and social sciences for centu- ries, the notion of an influence of language is relatively new. In its most gen- eral form the linguistic relativity hypothesis claims that language influences thought. However, the terms ‘language’ and ‘thought’, and the nature of the influence have been subject to debate on and off for decades. In recent work, the relation is explored as an influence of grammar or lexicon on non- linguistic thinking. The present thesis is mainly concerned with such recent or currently ongoing research in the area, often referred to as ‘neo- Whorfian’, and not with the original thoughts of Sapir or Whorf.
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