LING209: Language and Thought

Announcements

  • Problem Set 1 (PS 1) is due on Friday.
  • An exam will be held on Monday, in class.
    • Students are permitted two double-sided pages of notes.
    • A review guide is available on Canvas.
    • Extra time accommodations for the exam begin at 9:15 AM9:15 \text{ AM}.
    • Students needing accommodations should address them immediately.
  • Unit 2, focusing on the pieces of linguistic knowledge, begins next week.

Agenda: Language and Thought

  • Three views of the relationship between language and thought.
  • Talking and thinking about color.
  • Talking and thinking about time.
  • If time allows: The grammar of gender.

The Rationalist View of Language

  • Mental structures fundamentally shape language.
  • A key question arises: Can language shape, constrain, or determine, thought?
    • This considers the interaction between input from the environment, mental structure, and linguistic knowledge, and how these might produce outputs.

Linguistic Determinism: Historical Context

  • George Orwell, 1984 (1949):
    • Newspeak's goal is to narrow the range of thought.
    • The intent is to make