Language and Perception: How Words Shape Our Reality
Language defines how we see, hear, taste, smell, and feel the world, shaping unique realities. Explore how sensory codes and words influence our understanding across cultures.
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Language is not just a tool for communication; it is the framework through which we experience the world. How we talk about our surroundings—from taste to texture, sound to smell—can drastically shape our perception of reality. This issue delves into the profound connection between language and sensory perception, revealing how words influence how we interpret and interact with the world.
How Language Defines Perception
Research has long shown that language shapes how we think and perceive the world. As outlined in various studies, such as the one from Scientific American, which you can find here, different languages highlight different aspects of sensory experiences.
For instance, Russian speakers with distinct words for light blue and dark blue are quicker to differentiate between shades of blue than English speakers. This reveals how language influences our perception of colour—and how different cultures experience the same phenomena in entirely different ways.
Another fascinating insight comes from the linguistic relativity hypothesis discussed in GoFluent. This hypothesis suggests that language doesn't just label reality; it constructs it. For instance, we can describe how time changes from culture to culture. Some languages describe time as fluid, while others see it as fixed and measurable. This is a powerful demonstration of how language, a seemingly intangible tool, shapes our understanding of the most fundamental elements of existence, from the passage of time to the perception of colour.
“The structure of language determines not only thought, but reality itself.”
Noam Chomsky
The Sensory Codes in Turkish: A Rich Lexicon of Texture
My work as a semiotician often immerses me in these language-perception connections, and a particularly insightful project involving ice cream led me to view Maraş dondurması with a different lens. This is not just any ice cream. Its elastic, chewy texture and cultural significance reveal a deep sensory experience unique to Turkey. The experience of eating Maraş dondurması is not just about taste—it is about texture, sound, and the unique cultural performance accompanying it.
In the Turkish language, there is a rich lexicon of words to describe texture, especially crispiness and crunchiness. Words like çıtır çıtır, kıtır kıtır, and kütür kütür capture various nuances of texture, demonstrating how integral linguistic expression is to the sensory experience. These words reflect how Turkish culture values texture in food and show how language allows for a more refined perception of everyday sensations.
This aligns with the principle highlighted in the article by Scientific American—that language not only reflects but shapes our sensory experiences. As discussed here, language determines how we see, hear, and feel. It becomes clear that different cultures describe and experience the world differently because of their linguistic frameworks.
All words have the ‘taste’ of a profession, a genre, a tendency, a party, a particular work, a particular person, a generation, an age group, the day and hour. Each word tastes of the context and contexts in which it has lived its socially charged life; all words and forms are populated by intentions.
Mikhail Bakhtin
The Himba Tribe Experiment: Seeing the World Through Colour
A fascinating experiment with the Himba tribe of Namibia demonstrated how language influences perception—specifically, the ability to distinguish colours.
The Himba people have a unique linguistic structure that categorises colours differently from Western languages. In one study, participants struggled to differentiate between shades of blue and green, categorised under a single word in their language. However, they quickly distinguished between subtle shades of green that would be indistinguishable for most English speakers. This experiment highlights how language shapes what we describe and see—our perception of reality.
Why Our World Is Not the Same for Everyone
The most compelling conclusion is that there is no absolute, objective reality. What we experience is always coloured by the language we speak. Language defines how we categorise colours, perceive time, describe food, and understand abstract concepts. As a result, reality is not universal—it’s deeply personal and culturally specific.
This raises important questions: How does language shape your perception of the world? What words in your language influence how you experience everyday sensations like taste, texture, or sound? And how can understanding these linguistic differences foster more profound cross-cultural empathy?
Accents and Perceptions: The Power of Speech
In addition to how language affects sensory perception, accents significantly shape how others perceive people. According to a study highlighted by the BBC, accents can influence how intelligent or trustworthy someone appears and the assumptions made about their socioeconomic status and background. This underscores how deeply language and accents are embedded in forming social perceptions and biases, further illustrating language's vast impact on our worldview.
Whether it’s the assumption that a particular accent reflects higher education or another connotes working-class roots, how we speak can affect our identity and how we are treated in society.
What’s Coming Next
In future newsletters, I will explore how these language-perception dynamics play out across various cultures. From how the Japanese treat seasons to how the Hopi people perceive time, we will uncover new ways language structures thought and behaviour.
Additionally, I will discuss how businesses can leverage these insights to craft more resonant marketing strategies that speak to the sensory codes of different cultures, creating stronger connections with global audiences.
Starting next month, I will publish two paid content pieces each month, exclusive to subscribers. After my campaign for loyal readers received significant attention, I extended the offer to everyone: an exclusive rate of 20% discounted rate of 3 GBP per month or 32 GBP annually, which means full access to insights like these for less than a cup of coffee.
Don’t miss out on this special offer before all previous content moves behind the paywall in 2025.
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This offer is valid until the end of the month!