Answer the questions as per the instructions
Reuben 1
linguistic_relativity.pptWhat is Linguistic anthropology?
- Origin and evolution of language
- Examines the context and situations in which language is used.
- How language is written and played with
- Role of Language in shaping peoples world view
Myth 12
- prescriptive grammar- To whom are you speaking to?
- Mental grammar- Who are you speaking?
Myth 15
- Languages do change but difficult to explain why
- Some attribute language change to the media ( TV)but socio-linguists disagree
- Media has not influence on sound change and grammar
- Motor economy in physiology pronunciation, youth rebellion,fine-tuning of grammar, fads, fashions etc
Franz Boas &Linguistic relativity
- Franz Boas- father of American Anthropology.
studied the Yupik& Inuit speakers
- Each language must be studied on its terms
- Cultural emphasis ( different cultural emphasis, different vocabularies or names of things; ruka in Russian for both arm and hand).
Cultural Relativity vs Ethnocentrism
- Cultural relativity- Differences exist among cultural systems & we should judge each culture on its own terms
Ethnocentrism- Not understanding different cultural systems on their own terms
Linguistic determinism
- Language affects, and determines, ones ability to think, perceive and talk about things
- Spoken communication differs from one climate to another
- Literacy and climate = CV score Christmas- kris, muss( temperate)
ke-ri-si-masi ( Samoa)
Frame of Reference
- The way different speakers categorize and represent their world views( frame of reference)
- Semantic domains( areas of meanings) belongs to ethnoscience
- Number of color terms( reflects level of complexity).
Sapir-Whorf hypothesis
- Various names of Linguistic determinism
- Benjamin whorf influenced by Sapir’s teachings( fire insurance inspector)
- Both believed that different languages give rise to different habitual thoughts
- Strong whorf and weaker Whorf
- Strong Whorf- language strongly determines our world view( prison)
- weaker whorf( language is like a room).
