Sapir-Whorf hypothesis
The hypothesis that language influences thought and perception, possibly determining or constraining how speakers think about the world.
Real World
The Hopi people's language lacks tenses for past and future, which Benjamin Lee Whorf argued meant they conceptualised time differently from English speakers — a claim still debated by linguists today.
Exam Focus
Distinguish strong (determinism) from weak (relativism) versions; examiners penalise conflating them.
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