How Language Shapes the Way We Think | Lera Boroditsky @TED #ted #tedtalks

[williamscottgordon]

Yep. I'm an American who grew up speaking English but started learning Japanese in my 20s; I've been in Japan for over 20 years now, and I run into challenging stuff like this all the time. Language says so much about the culture from which it grows.

[LeonardoDiCapthezhoes]

The stock photo of the vase guy made me chuckle

[silverlinings]

I saw the whole of this Ted Talk, and it's so true. Im bilingual and know several more languages besides, and the construction of each language is slightly different. I think it's the language that follows the culture, not vice versa.

That's why it's so difficult to change the culture by changing the language. It's the underlying culture that needs to change first.

[ignorasmus]

SO True!
We all need to make sure that this rich cultural heritage of humanity does not get totally overrun by just one language of English.

[islandmaster]

Intent may be the same, but the words used to convey that intent changes with each language

[monicaramer]

Couldn’t agree more. As a native Brazilian, Portuguese being my first language, as an adult, as for my trained profession as a Spanish/English Court Interpreter, I know first hand, the importance of words.

[alaaowaidi]

I love what she is talking about because this is my speciality
We are linguists ❤

[maiqueashworth]

Does any one happen to know where original long version of this short is?

[MarcoZamora]

Well, a vase may sort've break itself in Spanish. The thing is, for objects the passive voice and the past participle are said the same way. So, it's conveniently vague, and not even too shifty, to say it that way; you can decide what you said after the fact, when you get a response.

[aravindajikumar]

This is why sanskrit is the mother of all languages which has the ability to make unlimited words.

[winstonchurchill]

I'm afraid to tell you that is not completely true. In Spanish, we can say "me rompí el brazo, " and that doesn't necessarily mean I broken it intentionally. It means I had an accident, and I got a broken arm.

[Rnue]

I didn't know Lorde was into languages.

[Life_]

That's why I stick to mathematics; the best language!

[scottw]

This is why I love the Latin Mass. Latin language is clear and has not changed in centuries.

[FueledbyJohn]

Funny story at least now, not then.

I once broke my arm, I had a seizure and twisted it between a piece of wood beside my bed.

I certainly wasnt trying to but I certainly was screaming in agony once the pain occured.

Worse still I told my parents and they minimised what had occured and told me to shut up and go to bed and stop crying so it was only two days later when my arm was badly swollen that they decided to take me to A&E.

Same thing occured when my brother kicked my thumb out of its socket. 😶

Vase guy being clumsy and not being aware of his surroundings oh dear! 🙈

[ericfransen]

English: "I missed the bus.".
Spanish: "The bus left without me.".

[Theddyfield]

I figured this much by observing the native language speaking words compared to my child who speaks only English.

[lalpark]

Depends on the context. Two ways of saying it:
“Se le rompió el jarrón” (it he’s broken the vase or itself he broke the vase))
“El jarrón se rompió” (=the vase it broke or the vase itself broke)
In spanish we use personal pronouns way less because there’s a verb for each person and it’s in the verb itself. For example:
We go= Vamos (we don’t say “nosotros vamos” unless it’s to emphasize in the person)
They wanted= Querían
He runs= Corre. In the case of she/he we wouldn’t add “Ella” or “El” if you already mentioned the person in the previous sentence

[Thewhiteandorange]

there is a native american language, i forgot which one, that has a conjugation that designates the statement being spoken as "hearsay" or "factual".

[daviddangerous]

I’d say whatever you want- for me to get what I want 😊