Hello!
Are thoughts independent of the language we speak, or does language define them?
That question has kept many linguists up way past their bedtime.
There are two camps.
On one side, it's believed that language determines thought. The language we speak determines how we think and perceive the world around us.
The other side rejects this idea.
For them, thought is independent and language does not influence it. A German speaker and a Chinese speaker have exactly the same abilities for thought, and can perceive the world equally.
Well, which is it?
The theory that language defines thought in any profound way is mostly rejected by linguists.
However, when we experiment with a weaker version of this idea, we see some very interesting results.
What if language just makes us pay attention to different things?
The Thaayorre people
In the northern tip of Australia you'll find the Thaayorre people. The Kuuk Thaayorre language is interesting because it doesn't have words for up, down, left, or right.
In Kuuk Thaayorre the location of something is not described relative to the body (left or right). Instead, the Thaayorre people describe positions or directions relative to the earth itself using cardinal directions (north or south).
The Thaayorre people describe time in the same way. Time flows from east to west. If they're facing south, time is expressed as flowing from left to right. If they are facing north, time flows from right to left.
Kuuk Thaayorre speakers know precisely which direction they're facing. It doesn't matter if they're inside a building. They always know. There's no other choice; their language makes them pay attention to it constantly.
Whether you rate that as a "cool party trick" or "amazing skill", the fact is we simply don't develop it as English speakers.
Asian languages
Many European languages have words to show respect, such as the Spanish Usted vs. tu and German's Sie vs. du.
Many Asian languages have a more thorough system of words and grammar to show respect and social structure. Speakers must think about social status, age, relationships, and politeness to speak correctly.
When I get into a taxi in Vietnam, I have to work out the gender and age of the driver. I can't even say hello correctly without knowing.
Japanese, Korean, Thai, and Vietnamese make the speaker pay attention to things they simply wouldn't need to in English. The reverse is also true.
Language directs attention
Language does not determine thought directly.
But with more research, it's becoming clear that it can direct our attention in interesting ways and with interesting consequences.
What if our memory is correlated with attention? Do speakers of certain languages remember certain things better? What other things are made worse or better based on the language?
There are already compelling examples regarding colour in Russian, genders in romance languages, writing direction in Arabic and Hebrew, and other unique language features.
I'm excited to dig into all of these in future issues.
Who knows, maybe in the future we'll pick a language based on what it directs our attention to and what advantage it gives us. Need to become more logical/social/respectful? I know just the language for you!
What is your language making you pay more attention to? What are you paying less attention to?
