I found an excerpt related to our English class. (Now every time I read something I automatically link it to English)
"We dissect nature along lines laid down by our native languages. The sensory categories that we isolate from the world of phenomena we do not find there because they stare every observer in the face; on the contrary, the world is presented in a kaleidoscopic flux of impressions which has to be organized by our minds-and this means largely by the linguistic systems in our minds. We cut nature up, organize it into concepts, and ascribe significances as we do, largely because we are parties to an agreement that is codified in the patterns of our language."
What's your thoughts?
What struck me most is the last sentence. Why do we give meanings to each object in nature? Is this our attempt to understand nature better and possibly to make it our own?
Happy New Year! (Jennifer Park)
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6 comments:
Upon reading the passage, something immediately popped into my head. Does our language (the words we use) affect the way we view our surroundings? Are our perceptions of the world (nature, in this context) limited because of how we use language? It's rather ironic..I feel like I implied this same question in possibly my first post on this blog. Hmm.. "We dissect nature along lines laid down by our native languages." I guess that this is what the author of this passage is trying to say.
We each have "codified patterns of language." But do these patterns code for different perceptions? Different emotions? Different experiences?
When I'm using three languages with my relatives, it seems such an easy task to express myself..does the use of different codified patterns account for this?
(Sam Maliha)
"We dissect nature along lines lad down by our native languages."
Almost immediately, I thought of the seasons. Spring, summer, fall and winter: the very concept of "seasons" was created to fulfill human nature's need to categorize and classify. Although nature is in reality a "kaleidoscopic flux of impressions", we have divided it into the four seasons.
After all, nature is not so clear cut that we can tell the exact moment where one season transitions to the next. As a matter of fact, seasons themselves are nebulous: If it's winter right now, where's the snow? We've used words to impose "order" on constantly shifting weather phenomena. Hence, winter = snow, summer = hot, spring = fresh and new, and fall = cool and brisk. Furthermore, each season has its own whole set of corresponding connotations ("Old Man Winter", the maiden Spring...)
But very rarely does nature adhere to our artificial rules.
Words are used to describe nature, but who knows the exact difference
between a "light drizzle" and a "torrential downpour"? Nature, like language, is subject to intensional perceptions.
Humans tend to be creatures dependent on organization (some more than others). If we did not organize information in our minds, we would be left with chaos. Doesn't stress relate to that? We have so much going on in our minds that we have difficulty "processing" it. I think it's interesting that this excerpt relates this organizing to the linguistic system that we are familiar with. Just one more reason why semantic environment is so significant in the creation of viewpoints, perspectives, opinions, and bias. This is probably one road block to learning a new language, as well. Direct translations are okay in some contexts, but in others they don't work at all and the speaker needs to understand the meaning without translating it into his/her first language.
Emily T.
I disagree with the author of this excerpt, of course we feel a need to categorize nature as with all things, but does our language the way we view nature, or does our nature shape our language? I think that both are true to a degree. Take a South American tribe I read about a while ago, their entire civilization is based on a mountain. Because of this, their own indigenous language doesn't have words for North, South, East, West, left or right, just up-the-slope, and down-the slope. The basis of those words in their language is rooted in the result of their environment and their surroundings. However, for the individuals in tis culture, these terms do restrict the way they view directions and nature. As you can imagine, once taken off the mountain they have a difficult time. So their surroundings shaped their language to start, but after, their language isolated their views of nature.
(Connor Tweardy)
Connor, what's the name of that tribe? I want to look it up, it sounds interesting.
(Sam Maliha)
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