Whorfian hypothesis

[hwawr-fee-uhn, hwohr-, wawr-, wohr-]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

Sapir-Whorf hypothesis.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of Whorfian hypothesis¹

First recorded in 1960–65; Whorf + -ian

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It is rooted in the Whorfian hypothesis that language and thought are connected, and takes it to the extreme that language change can be engineered to influence thought.