Sapir-Whorf hypothesis

American  

[suh-peer-hwawrf, -hwohrf, -wawrf, -wohrf] / səˈpɪərˈʰwɔrf, -ˈʰwoʊrf, -ˈwɔrf, -ˈwoʊrf /

noun

1. a theory developed by Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf that states that the structure of a language determines or greatly influences the modes of thought and behavior characteristic of the culture in which it is spoken.

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Sapir-Whorf hypothesis British  

noun

1. the theory that human languages determine the structure of the real world as perceived by human beings, rather than vice versa, and that this structure is different and incommensurable from one language to another

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Etymology

Origin of Sapir-Whorf hypothesis

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

This idea – now usually known as the linguistic relativity hypothesis, or Sapir-Whorf hypothesis – has had a checkered history in academia.

From The Guardian • Jul. 27, 2018

In the 1970s, Anna Wierzbicka, a linguist who found herself marooned in Australia after a long career in Polish academia, stood the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis on its head.

From The Guardian • Jul. 27, 2018

So does something called the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, a linguistic theory positing that the language we use influences the way we see the world.

From Washington Post • Nov. 11, 2016

A key plot twist hinges on the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis of theoretical linguistics — look it up — making this possibly the wonkiest piece of escapism this year.

From Washington Post • Nov. 10, 2016