Written by Anna Hooper
‘A rose by any other name would smell as sweet’
The work undertaken by Sapir-Whorf in the 1950s identified an explicit link between thought and words, and it is their research which is perhaps the most intrinsic aspect to the hypothesis that the language you speak shapes thought.
The general accepted idea in today’s society is that languages are essentially the same, it is simply the use of different words for the same objects. Famously, Juliet Capulet stated when debating the significance of her lover’s name that ‘A rose by any other name would smell as sweet’.[1] So, even Shakespeare was debating the arbitrary nature of naming objects in the world around us. Of course, this is true, the object indeed does not vary depending on the language, a rose in Spain is the same as a rose in Sweden. However, if we consider the varying context and grammar needed to surround the said rose, which is one component of a more complex communication, and then transpose this idea onto a more widespread basis, the effect it has on language is amplified.
Each language across the globe requires a different form and grammar in order to function. Therefore, the words in each language will be in a different word group, require a different suffix, be ordered in a sentence differently and so on. For instance, the language known as ‘Tuyuca’ has been labelled as the hardest language in the world by many, including renowned ‘The Economist’ magazine.[2] This is because each verb used must contain a suffix which shows how the person acquired the information they are sharing.[3] More than this, it is a language which incorporates what the English language would make whole sentences, into one single word. For example, the word ‘hoabasiriga’ means ‘I do not know how to write’.[4] The language gets even harder yet, because it is estimated that there are over 100 gender classifications. Including one for ‘bark that does not cling closely to the tree’ which can used for things such as baggy trousers as well as wet plywood.[5] [6] This would not only change and indeed increase the knowledge exchanged in a single sentence but it would lead to further inferences and associations being drawn by the speakers. Therefore, although there is a basic similarity between languages, all these smaller differences are not insignificant when seen on a wider basis. The rose itself is insignificant, but once the rose is incorporated into a sentence and subsequent interaction, it becomes something else entirely for each listener.
In returning to Juliet Capulet’s famous query, if she had addressed this in the language ‘Tuyuca’ then she would have had to identify how she had the knowledge of the rose’s smell itself. One wonders how figurative meaning is developed in such a complex grammar system.
Therefore, if every language requires a speaker to engage with both the environment and their mind in varying ways then it is entirely possible that language shapes the way we think about the world, even if it is on a small scale.
[1] Shakespeare ‘Romeo and Juliet’ Act II Scene II – The reference was shown by Steven Pinker in ‘Words and Rules’ Page 2
[2] http://www.economist.com/node/15108609
[3] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ben-colclough/learning-the-lingo-the-5-_b_997685.html
[4] An article from ‘The globe and mail’ by Russel Smith – https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/arts/you-think-english-is-hard-try-tuyuca/article4311579/?ref=http://www.theglobeandmail.com&
[5]An article from ‘The Economist’ – http://www.economist.com/node/15108609
[6] An article from ‘The globe and mail’ by Russel Smith – https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/arts/you-think-english-is-hard-try-tuyuca/article4311579/?ref=http://www.theglobeandmail.com&
Eng-quiring minds 