ABSTRACT
The differences between languages are not those of sounds and signs but those of differing world views.
(Humboldt, 1836, translation in Humboldt, 1963, p. 246)
The limits of my language mean the limits of my world. (Wittgenstein, 1922)
In this chapter, we are going to discuss the ‘classical’ question which can be traced back to as early as the eighteenth century, i.e. the relation between language, culture and thought. We start with an overview of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, followed by a selective review of infl uential arguments and lines of enquiry. The last section examines relevant issues from previous chapters in light of the classical question.
