Communication Between Cultures

these differences in perception, many of them subconscious, have an influence on

how people think and use language. This cultural dynamic is known aslinguistic rela-

tivityand was set forth in the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis. The hypothesis asserted“that

language profoundly shapes the perceptions and world view of its speakers.”^11 Sapir

and Whorf suggested,“differences between languages must have consequences that

go far beyond mere grammatical organization and must be related to profound diver-

gence in modes of thought.”^12 Hence, the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis argued that lan-

guage is not simply a means of reporting experience but, more importantly, a way of

defining experience. To explain this concept, Sapir and Whorf wrote,

Human beings do not live in the objective world alone, nor alone in the world of social

activity as ordinarily understood, but are very much at the mercy of the particular language

which has become the medium of expression for their society.... The real world is to a large

extent unconsciously built up on the language habits of the group. No two languages are

Language allows

people to establish

relationships and to

express and exchange

ideas and information.

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Language and Thought 271

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