6. Sapir-Whorf hypothesis.

b. Sapir-Whorf hypothesis:

i. “No two languages are ever sufficiently similar to be considered as representing the same social reality. The worlds in which different societies live are distinct worlds, not merely the same world with different labels attached” (Edward Sapir, 1929.)

ii. “Language shapes the way we think, and determines what we can think about” (Benjamin Lee Whorf, 1956.)

c. Strong and weak versions of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis:

i. Strong (linguistic determinism.)

ii. Weak (linguistic relativity.)