person indexing (was: Information)

[Timothy Dunnigan]

Dave,

May I recommend that you read Einar Haugen's critique of the Whorfian
Hypothesis.  It can be found in a volume edited by William C. McCormack and
Stephen A. Wurm and titled Approaches to Language: Anthropological Issues
(1973).  If I remember correctly, Einar felt that Whorf's characterizations
of SAE were overdrawn, and the differences with Hopi inadequately documented.

Tim

At 07:57 PM 12/18/2002 +0000, you wrote:
>Hi Brad,
>
>Do you feel that Whorf adequately portrayed the Hopi language as having a
>different thought process than SAE (Standard Average European [Whorf's
>term])?  I know one of his famous examples was "rehpi" in that it would be
>translated simply as "flashed" (referring I imagine to lightning) without
>specifying any subject or actor.  It sounds like you've confirmed this
>with what you say about verbs of natural phenomena having no actor or
>subject prefix.  I wonder though if Hopi has a separate noun form for
>"lightning flash" or simply any kind of "flash" (i.e., camera flash).  I
>wonder if one would say "I see a lightning flash" or "I see (something)
>flashed" without specifying *what* flashed.  I wonder how Siouan and other
>Native American languages compare in this regard dealing with weather or
>otherwise.
>
>Regards,
>Dave