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Carving the body at its joints : Does the way we speak about the body shape the way we think about it?

Devylder, S. I.M.O.N. LU ; Bracks, Christoph ; Shimotori, Misuzu and Siahaan, Poppy (2020) In Language and Cognition 12(4). p.577-613
Abstract

Looking at the way different linguistic communities speak about a universally shared domain of experience raises questions that are central to the language sciences. How can we compare meaning across languages? What is the interaction between language, thought, and perception? Does linguistic diversity entail linguistic relativism? The literature on the naming systems of the body across languages have addressed these questions with little consensus. In the present study, we contribute to this debate with a comparison of body part terms in French, Indonesian, and Japanese. Using an updated version of the body coloring task, we observed both diversity and cross-linguistically shared patterns. Importantly, we also observed that speakers of... (More)

Looking at the way different linguistic communities speak about a universally shared domain of experience raises questions that are central to the language sciences. How can we compare meaning across languages? What is the interaction between language, thought, and perception? Does linguistic diversity entail linguistic relativism? The literature on the naming systems of the body across languages have addressed these questions with little consensus. In the present study, we contribute to this debate with a comparison of body part terms in French, Indonesian, and Japanese. Using an updated version of the body coloring task, we observed both diversity and cross-linguistically shared patterns. Importantly, we also observed that speakers of languages which violate the wrist/ankle joint boundary rule do not collapse the distinction in thought. This key finding goes against the conflation of language and thought and leads us to conclude that linguistic diversity does not entail linguistic relativism. Methodologically, we advocate for the use of a culturally neutral etic space as a necessary tool in semantic typology. Theoretically, we propose that language is a multilevel phenomenon, which results from the interaction of non-linguistic and cross-culturally shared embodied motivations, context-specific situated language use, and culturally specific sedimented linguistic conventions.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
body parts, categorization, language and thought, linguistic diversity, semantic typology
in
Language and Cognition
volume
12
issue
4
pages
37 pages
publisher
Cambridge University Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:85086429221
ISSN
1866-9808
DOI
10.1017/langcog.2020.13
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
c5976848-38cf-404e-b249-15bc49ca6414
date added to LUP
2020-06-30 15:49:53
date last changed
2023-12-04 16:43:43
@article{c5976848-38cf-404e-b249-15bc49ca6414,
  abstract     = {{<p>Looking at the way different linguistic communities speak about a universally shared domain of experience raises questions that are central to the language sciences. How can we compare meaning across languages? What is the interaction between language, thought, and perception? Does linguistic diversity entail linguistic relativism? The literature on the naming systems of the body across languages have addressed these questions with little consensus. In the present study, we contribute to this debate with a comparison of body part terms in French, Indonesian, and Japanese. Using an updated version of the body coloring task, we observed both diversity and cross-linguistically shared patterns. Importantly, we also observed that speakers of languages which violate the wrist/ankle joint boundary rule do not collapse the distinction in thought. This key finding goes against the conflation of language and thought and leads us to conclude that linguistic diversity does not entail linguistic relativism. Methodologically, we advocate for the use of a culturally neutral etic space as a necessary tool in semantic typology. Theoretically, we propose that language is a multilevel phenomenon, which results from the interaction of non-linguistic and cross-culturally shared embodied motivations, context-specific situated language use, and culturally specific sedimented linguistic conventions.</p>}},
  author       = {{Devylder, S. I.M.O.N. and Bracks, Christoph and Shimotori, Misuzu and Siahaan, Poppy}},
  issn         = {{1866-9808}},
  keywords     = {{body parts; categorization; language and thought; linguistic diversity; semantic typology}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{577--613}},
  publisher    = {{Cambridge University Press}},
  series       = {{Language and Cognition}},
  title        = {{Carving the body at its joints : Does the way we speak about the body shape the way we think about it?}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/langcog.2020.13}},
  doi          = {{10.1017/langcog.2020.13}},
  volume       = {{12}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}