With the loss of many of the world's languages, it is important to
question what will be lost to humanity with their demise. It is
frequently argued that a language engenders a 'worldview', but what do
we mean by this term? Attributed to German politician and philologist
Wilhelm von Humboldt (1767-1835), the term has since been adopted by
numerous linguists. Within specialist circles it has become associated
with what is known as the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis which suggests that the
nature of a language influences the thought of its speakers and that
different language patterns yield different patterns of
thought.Underhill's concise and rigorously researched book clarifies the
main ideas and proposals of Humboldt's linguistic philosophy and
demonstrates the way his ideas can be adopted and adapted by thinkers
and linguists today. A detailed glossary of terms is provided in order
to clarify key concepts and to translate the German terms used by
Humboldt.