语言相对论(英语:linguistic relativity),有时也被称为萨丕尔-沃夫假说(英语:Sapir–Whorf hypothesis)认为语言结构影响其使用者的世界观或认知,因此人类的感知与思考模式与其所使用的语言相关。

该理论首先由语言学家兼人类学爱德华·萨丕尔(Edward Sapir)及其学生本杰明·李·沃夫所提出,是一门关于人类语言的心理学语言学假说。这项学说认为,人类的思考模式受到其使用语言的影响,因而对同一事物时可能会有不同的看法,不过这项学说引起了一些争议,也招致了一些批评。基于以上争议,后来产生不同的修正版本:其一于二次大战前提出语言决定思想为强势版本;其二于近代提倡,认为语言结构仅影响认知的温和版本,介绍如下[1]

  • 语言相对论的强势版本,又称为语言决定论,提出语言决定思考模式,故语言结构限制并决定其认知结构,此一版本已于现代普遍被认为是不正确的论述。[2]
  • 语言相对论的温和版本,认为语言结构及使用可能影响思考模式及决策方式。该版本较受到相关实证研究结果的分析认可。[3]

萨丕尔-沃夫假说一称通常被认为是错误的,原因是两位学者并未曾合著研究或以假说的形式陈述其论点。以上版本的区别也是由后续学者延伸发展。[4][5]

现今有一些人造语言的发明因应而生,如逻辑语道本语等。

语言决定论认为语言决定思考模式,不同语系的语言看待世界的方式都不一样,也就呈现了各种语言彼此间的相对性,所以任何民族的语言都与其文化和生活环境的需要一起成长和改变。

历史

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语言相对论的概念首先由19世纪的两位德国思想家,威廉·冯·洪堡以及约翰·戈特弗里德·赫尔德所提出,认为语言作为表现国家精神的方式。20世纪初两位美国人类学家法兰兹·鲍亚士爱德华·萨丕尔也于1928年的美国语言学会[6]支持这样的概念,萨丕尔尤其反对语言决定论观点。

萨丕尔的学生,本杰明·李·沃夫,在他发表语言差异影响人类认知与行为的相关观察后,成为假说的主要之支持者。萨丕尔另一位学生,哈利·霍耶,引入萨丕尔-沃夫假说[7],尽管两位学者从未正式推广类似的理论。[8]其中,强势版本于1920年代由德国语言学家魏斯格贝尔持续发展。经罗杰·布朗和埃里克·勒纳伯格进行了实验,为了探究不同语言使用者,是否在辨别颜色程度上有所不同,使得沃夫的语言相对论成为可测试的假设。

其他领域

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在流行文化中

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姜峯楠的短篇小说《你一生的故事》(英文:Story of Your Life)提到了萨丕尔-沃夫假说;[来源请求]2016年美国电影《降临》根据《你一生的故事》改编上映。

参考文献

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参阅

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外部链接

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  1. ^ Boroditsky, Lera; Liberman, Mark. For and Against Linguistic Relativity. The Economist (The Economist Newspaper Limited). 13–23 December 2010 [19 September 2019]. (原始内容存档于15 February 2012).  (a debate between university professors)
  2. ^ Ahearn, Laura M. Living language : an introduction to linguistic anthropology. Chichester, West Sussex, U.K. 2012: 69. ISBN 978-1-4443-4056-3. OCLC 729731177. 
  3. ^ Ottenheimer, Harriet. The anthropology of language : an introduction to linguistic anthropology 2nd. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. 2009: 33–34. ISBN 978-0-495-50884-7. OCLC 216940204. 
  4. ^ Koerner, E. F. Konrad. The Sapir‐Whorf Hypothesis: A Preliminary History and a Bibliographical Essay. Journal of Linguistic Anthropology. 1992-12, 2 (2) [2024-01-21]. ISSN 1055-1360. doi:10.1525/jlin.1992.2.2.173. (原始内容存档于2024-03-08) (英语). 
  5. ^ Kennison, Shelia M. Introduction to language development. Introduction to language development. Los Angeles, Calif.: SAGE. 2014. ISBN 978-1-4129-9606-8. 
  6. ^ Koerner, E. F. Konrad. The Sapir‐Whorf Hypothesis: A Preliminary History and a Bibliographical Essay. Journal of Linguistic Anthropology. 1992-12, 2 (2) [2024-01-21]. ISSN 1055-1360. doi:10.1525/jlin.1992.2.2.173. (原始内容存档于2024-03-08) (英语). 
  7. ^ Warnock, G. J. Language in Culture: Conference on the inter-relations of Language and other aspects of Culture. Edited by Harry Hoijer. (University of Chicago Press. 1954.). Philosophy. 1956-07, 31 (118). ISSN 0031-8191. doi:10.1017/s0031819100057491. 
  8. ^ Hill, Jane H.; Mannheim, Bruce. Language and World View. Annual Review of Anthropology. 1992-10, 21 (1) [2024-01-21]. ISSN 0084-6570. doi:10.1146/annurev.an.21.100192.002121. (原始内容存档于2022-01-21) (英语).