The connection between language and thought is far from simple. It is believed that the purpose of language is to transfer thought from one mind to another. And so it is. But this is not the only thing.
Language conveys thought, but does it define thought? A psychologist at Oxford University claims that the language people speak influences the way they think.
There are many languages in the world, some of them are on the verge of extinction, and some have already sunk into oblivion. Take, for example, the number of basic color terms. It varies quite a lot from one language to another, and these are not just names, speakers of different languages do perceive colors differently.
Flowers, of course, are not limited to. For example, there is no English equivalent for the German word sehnsucht (dissatisfaction with imperfect reality combined with yearning for the ideal). There is no English equivalent to the Portuguese word that refers to love and longing for someone or something that has been lost and can never be recovered.
English has words for children who have lost their parents (orphan) and words for spouses who have lost their spouse (widow or widower), but no word for parents who have lost a child. We often think about what cannot be put into words, for example, the smell and taste of mango, morning birdsong, etc. This is similar to the thoughts of animals and babies, they have them, but they cannot convey to others.
Many other languages have two words for blue. According to the study, Greeks who have lived for a long time in the UK began to perceive light blue (blue) and dark blue as similar. However, language can also enhance knowledge of the world.
Latin does not have direct translations for "yes" and "no", and ancient Greek, like many ancient languages, did not have a dictionary for some colors, but had several words for love, each of which refers to a different type or concept of love. But modern languages are not complete either, for example, scientists often come up with words that help them speak and think about a problem.
Communication is possible without language, as many animals communicate effectively in other ways. But he gives us something that is inherent only in humans. It focuses our perception and attention on specific aspects of reality and hones our cognitive abilities. Language not only reflects our thoughts, but also shapes them. He creates our culture, which in turn shapes our thoughts and language.
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