LINGUIST List 6.1112

Thu Aug 17 1995

Qs: Sapir-Whorf, Phrase identification, Yiddish

Editor for this issue: T. Daniel Seely <dseelyemunix.emich.edu>

Directory

1. "Alan S. Kaye", Sapir-Whorf
2. "Karen A. Mullen", Phrase identification
3. "Charlotte Linde", Yiddish Orthography

SAPIR-WHORF HYPOTHESIS

I know Linguist had extensive conversation about "snow," etc., etc., and
the current status of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. I am once again faced with
how to teach this material in Introductory Linguistics (I use the latest
ed. of Lg. Files, OSU, which has a chapter on it). My question to the
network is this. What sort of conclusion is now appropriate? I have
always stated that no one has disproved Whorf's mild version of ling.
relativity (let's leave ling. determinism aside, or the stronger version).
But I have been reading Pinker's The Lg. Instinct. It is stated therein
that Whorf was clearly wrong on all counts (and how could he have been so
wrong!).

The subject matter of S-W is material which students have always found
fascinating. The literature on the hypothesis is now VAST. All I want to
do is to be fair vis-a-vis ling. in 1995 and present the state of the art
of what we KNOW today.

I will gladly post a summary for all those who care to write to me of their
experiences here, either teaching or researching.

Respond either to me (akayefullerton.edu) or directly to the Network, as
per your inclination. Thank you in advance for your kind assistance.

Alan Kaye
Linguistics
Calaifornia State University
Fullerton, CA 92634

 Dept of English, University of Louisville, Lou KY 40291
PHONE: 502/852-5901

An Asian student has said that an American student has flamed him
on the university's e-mail system by calling him a "vaginer shill".
Has anyone heard of this phrase? What does it mean? (This spelling
is exactly that used by the American student.)

Karen A. Mullen University of Louisville
INTERNET: kamull01ulkyvm.louisville.edu BITNET: kamull01ulkyvm

Is there a standard orthography for Yiddish in the Roman alphabet? What would
the reference be? Reply to me privately, please.
- Thanks, Charlotte Linde