Discussion Questions: 4 Feb

• Lakoff
  1. What are the different views on how translatability relates to linguistic relativity?

  2. What are the different views on how the use of semantic notions, especially grammaticized ones, relates to linguistic relativity?

  3. How would an opponent of linguistic relativity deal with differences such as those between spatial relation terms in English and Mixtec?

  4. What commensurability between the conceptual systems of speakers of different languages is suggested by the Kay-Kempton experiment?

• Gomez-Imbert
  1. How are bilingualism and second language acquisition relevant to the issue of linguistic relativity?

  2. Why are classifier or gender systems particularly interesting places to look for evidence of linguistic relativity?

  3. What is the significance of the fact that the Kubeo classifier system is not difficult for speakers of other Tukanoan languages to learn?

  4. Why are the differences between Kubeo and other Tukanoan languages evidence for some form of linguistic relativity?

  5. What commensurability between the conceptual systems of speakers of different languages is suggested by the different classifiers of Kubeo and Tatuyo speakers?