Whorf Advanced the Idea That Language Sets Limits on Thought

question 137

Multiple Choice

Whorf advanced the idea that language sets limits on thought. He claimed, for instance, that certain Eskimo languages such as Inuit contain as many as 300 different words for snow and that speakers of such languages therefore make much finer distinctions among snow types than do speakers of other languages. Which of the following is NOT a valid argument AGAINST this claim?

• A) English actually has more snow-related terms than does Inuit.
• B) Perhaps Inuit speakers make finer snow distinctions because they live in a world filled with snow, not because they have more words for snow than do others.
• C) There are only 10 different forms of snow, and these forms are recognized universally, even by people never before exposed to snow.
• D) Even if English had fewer snow terms, people could express fine distinctions about snow by using adjectives and so on.

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