Text 1
Steven Pinker
Who wrote The Language Instinct?
People share universal experiences
What is one criticism of linguistic relativity?
Edward Sapir
Who discusses linguistic relativity?
Chinese
Which language uses “stone fall”?
A context of shared signs
What is culture?
Language and social reality
What is the main topic of the text?
Language shapes thought
What is Whorf’s main claim?
Polish
Which language does not have an exact word for “disgust”?
Meaning depends on context
What is the main idea of Text 8?
Shared meanings
What is “public” culture?
They can represent different social realities
What does Sapir say about different languages?
Language vs. thought
What is the main debate among these authors?
Argument is war
What is the main metaphor in Lakoff and Johnson’s example?
Words that perform an action
What is a performative utterance?
This concept explains how words can become causes of real-world actions
What is meaning as action?
The way we think
What does culture affect through language?
Fear and shame
What emotions are combined in Gidjingali?
They see the other person as an opponent
How do people see the person they argue with?
This is what gives words their meaning within a particular culture
What is cultural context?
This happens when saying certain words creates a social action, such as making a promise or signing a contract
What is performative language?
Different views of the world
What can different grammars produce?
Folk taxonomy
What are English emotion terms called by Wierzbicka?
Arguments can be viewed as a dance
What can arguments be compared to in another culture?
Geertz uses this concept to describe culture as a system of shared meanings
What are symbols?
This gives certain people the power to make words socially effective
What is social authority?