Linguistical Relativity theory

When I started learning my third language and started using it on a day by day basis it didn’t take more than a year until I started thinking in a different language as well. It was of course swapping back and forth for a while. At then end it switched and swapped over to the new language.

When I dunked deeper and deeper into this slightly different culture I realised that something was different. I got the idea that maybe language and the way of thinking is somehow linked together. Please excuse I might full-fill now some clichés and general ideas. But as you might know: sometimes some of them are true or at least contain a piece of truth. For example:

German: I experience this language as very specific, very much straight to the point. It’s like a mechanical tool; if you want to describe something very quickly, precise and straight to the point, it becomes handy. Whatever you need you just build the words you know, create a new sense which is self-explaining. As I’ve been told German somehow sounds quite hard, staccato and noisy. Emotionless.  Consider this while having a look at this: German who say nice things, Stackenblochen.

I once got approached by some native English speaking colleagues. They asked me about the German word Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (Direct-Shift Gearbox). They considered it very funny. Almost hilarious. I didn’t get it. I still lack the ability of realising that stuff, but I realised something else: Though I’ve never heard the word before and I didn’t know the context it was coming from: I got an idea what it was for and where to look for it. That made me aware of the usability of the German language and it’s strength and efficiency (yes, I’m serving the cliché here)

The word was coming from the BBC-Show “Top Gear” by the way.

English: Though I’m not that close to that language as I will ever be with my mother-tongue, I can tell how English (I’m just talking about the English-English, not the American one) looks/hears from my perspective. English is more humble, a bit more reserved to me. If I used “Tool” as image for German, “Chewing Gum” would be the closes approach for English. Not in an insulting way. It’s more flexible than German and doesn’t follow that strict rules. You can bow it a bit more, but it doesn’t loose its integrity. On the other side some certain proudness  and an ego comes along with it. Not as bad as the French, but let me give an example: An Englishman went to Berlin, not speaking a single German word. When asking for directions in English, he got asked in broken English words: “I’m sorry, but can you speak German?”. His answer: “Why? We won!”

Don’t take this too serious, he’s a very funny Englishman and this was just a joke, but it reflects somehow some shades of how you this language words. The whole Monty Python Show and Mr. Been balance between being simply funny, very ironic and a bit to obsessed by itself. Personally, I like the English language very much, especially after I dropped out of school and all the pressure in following the strict Oxford-English learning disappeared. And just to mention it: Shakespear e is just wonderful…

Norwegian: This language is more fun, slower to speak, more flexible to use. Though it’s a bit tricky to use the words right, since several have literally the same meaning, but are used in different contexts. And don’t get me started about “på” and “til”. I’m still struggling with these.

But you have all these beautiful words, this nice sounds. Norwegian is for me like a pillow to rest in. You just have to turn around every now and then in order to not fall asleep. And when you expect it at least: it comes and hits you in the back with these nasty, small, tricky phases, slang expressions and twists and turns. But it’s still fun to use, more like a pillow fight than actually a pillow. It always swings some kindness with it, this I like very much.

So what is this all about? To all languages there’s a certain way of thinking linked to, I think. I haven’t actually followed that thought further, but this week I stumbled over a more scientific description of it: Linguistic relativity (NO). If you think it through it even becomes more and more logic and explains cultural differences as well. But not only the differences, also the borders you sometimes try to overcome and why you discover how hard it actually can be.

I can still remember that it was quite hard for me in the beginning to understand the Norwegian sense of humour. And though I still not always get it, I can see how it’s bundled with the understanding of the language, which is again knotted tightly to the knowledge of the culture. As more you learn in one part, as more you develop skills in the other parts as well. All works somehow together. But all you can work on are the extensions and ways to express yourself.

But what’s getting shaped is the picture inside of you.

PS: Typos, Ideas and corrections as usual into the comments, thanks.