APPROACHES TO DEFINING THE INTERACTION OF LANGUAGE AND CULTURE: AN ANALYSIS OF THE SAPIR-WHORF HYPOTHESIS

Abstract

The article addresses the problem of analyzing major approaches to studying the interaction between language and culture within the framework of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. It presents theoretical principles and conclusions put forward by several international researchers in this context. The fundamental postulates of linguistic relativity are outlined, namely: language influences thought, while cognitive processes are shaped not only by linguistic categories but also by traditions and certain forms of nonverbal behavior; language determines thought, and thus linguistic categories constrain and define cognitive categories. Examples are provided that illustrate the interaction between language and culture through Ukrainian, English, and German. The analysis demonstrates that these examples reveal how each culture conveys its values, beliefs, and unique worldview through language. The findings confirm that cognitive abilities of speakers differ significantly due to the use of distinct learning strategies; speakers of different languages conceptualize space and time in diverse ways (spatial and temporal orientation) and also categorize phenomena differently (color segmentation, perception of form, and recognition of causal relationships). Particular attention is given to key dimensions of how language shapes culture, including the transmission of traditions and knowledge; the formation of worldviews; the construction of identity and social cohesion; moral and ethical orientation; the expression of emotions and feelings; as well as cultural codes and symbols. The analysis reveals that language, through its lexical inventory, grammatical structures, and morphological and syntactic features, encodes our worldview, and accordingly, individuals act toward the world in line with how it is positioned by their language.