The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis suggests that the language we speak influences how we think and perceive the world. In essence, the words and structures of our language shape our thoughts, making certain ideas easier or harder to understand. For example, if a language has many words for different types of snow, its speakers might notice and think about snow more deeply than those whose language has only one or two words for it. While this idea is debated, it highlights the strong connection between language and cognition, emphasizing that our language can influence, but not entirely determine, how we experience reality.