ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses various ways in which language, thought and culture interrelate. Some researchers in the area of language and gender have argued that language may also determine what people notice, what categories they establish, what choices they believe are available and, consequently, the way they behave. In other words, language may strongly influence perception and behaviour. Some languages have linguistic categories which take account of the shape of objects. Less tangible concepts such as kinship further illustrate the complexities of the relationship between language and culture. The fact that every language offers some new interesting linguistic and often cognitive distinctions, a unique 'window on the world', provides reason to lament language loss. The chapter identifies some of the complex ways in which linguistic systems and specific ways of using language can provide insights into the perceptions, values and beliefs of a community.
