Language, Culture and Worldviews by Twentieth-Century Anthropologists

Abstract

Twentieth century anthropologists, starting from the 40s-50s were more focused on language and culture. At the turn of the century, Humboldt hypothesized the unique design of each language, which encodes a distinctly distinct view of the world. This idea was further propagated by Edward Sapir, who argued that “the worlds in which different societies live are different worlds, distinct above the world.” Given Humboldt's hypothesis and Edwart Sapir's idea of language and culture, we will try to answer questions such as: Does the language of a people shape the way things are thought and perceived? Is the view of a people coded in its own language and structured by its own grammar unique? The way language is used to communicate in social situations is increasingly becoming the focus of theoretical interest. Thus the theory of transformational linguistics presupposes that the main function of language is that of reference, that is, to make statements about the world. The world is built and operates on cultural diversity and its being.

Received: 5 October 2022 / Accepted: 10 November 2022 / Published: 18 November 2022