The Possible Relationship between Language and Thought

Researchers suggest that language and thought are intrinsically linked. Language plays a crucial role in our ability to remember, understand situations, and solve problems.
The Whorfian hypothesis is an important theory in this field. It suggests that the structure of a language affects the perceptions of reality of its speakers and thus influences their thought processes.
The hypothesis can be divided into two forms: the strong version (linguistic determinism) argues that a person’s thoughts are determined by the language they speak, while the weak version (linguistic relativity) proposes that a person’s thoughts are merely influenced by their language, but not determined by it.
Critics of the Whorfian hypothesis claim that it is difficult to prove and that it may be more accurate to say that our thoughts influence our language, rather than the other way round.
There is also the concept of ‘universalism,’ which suggests that all humans share the same cognitive structure that exists beyond language. Adherents of universalism believe that this structure determines our understanding of the world, independent of the language we speak.
Support for the Whorfian hypothesis can be found in studies of colour perception. Different languages categorise and label colours in different ways, which appears to affect speakers’ abilities to perceive and remember certain colours.
Another area of research suggests that bi- or multi-lingual individuals may think differently depending on the language they’re currently using, further supporting the idea that language can influence thought.
The language-thought relationship continues to be researched and debated, and while there is evidence to suggest that language plays a role in shaping our thoughts, it is still unclear to what extent this occurs.