Language and Reality Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards based on lecture notes covering the relationship between language, thought, and reality.

Naming

A powerful act that creates meaning for things, such as when Muhammad Ali changed his name.

Linguistic Determinism

The idea that language influences the way we think.

Flexibility of Language

The characteristic of language that allows it to change over time depending on culture and experience.

Sapir-Whorf hypothesis

A theory that suggests language influences many things but does not control them, alignining closely with linguistic relativity rather than full determinism.

Linguistic relativity

The concept that language serves to influence thought and reality without exerting full control over it.