Sapir-Whorf hypothesis

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Learning and development - cognition - taxonomies.

The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis is the theory that the structure of different languages affects the cognition and worldview of the speaker of that language.

In the extreme, the hypothesis suggests that it is impossible for a person to understand any concept that they do not know a word for.

In a broader application, the hypothesis suggests that learning new and extended vocabulary will improve the speaker's cognition and extend their worldview.


See also