Edward Sapir Quotes

Quotes about:

• Language is the most massive and inclusive art we know, a mountainous and anonymous work of unconscious generations.

  Edward Sapir

  Art, Work, Generations

  Edward Sapir (2014). “Language”, p.235, Cambridge University Press

  83 Copy quote

• Nonverbal communication is an elaborate secret code that is written nowhere, known by none, and understood by all.

  Edward Sapir

  Communication, Secret, Code

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• We see and hear and otherwise experience very largely as we do because the language habits of our community predispose certain choices of interpretation.

  Edward Sapir

  Choices, Community, Language

  Edward Sapir (1949). “Culture, Language, and Personality: Selected Essays”, p.69, Univ of California Press

  36 Copy quote

• Language is an anonymous, collective and unconscious art; the result of the creativity of thousands of generations.

  Edward Sapir

  Inspirational, Life, Art

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• Human beings do not live in the objective world alone, nor alone in the world of social activity as ordinarily understood, but are very much at the mercy of the particular language which has become the medium of expression for their society.

  Edward Sapir

  Expression, World, Language

  Edward Sapir, David Goodman Mandelbaum (1985). “Selected Writings of Edward Sapir in Language, Culture and Personality”, p.162, Univ of California Press

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• The fact of the matter is that the 'real world' is to a large extent unconsciously built up on the language habits of the group.

  Edward Sapir

  Real, Groups, World

  Edward Sapir, Pierre Swiggers (2008). “General Linguistics”, p.161, Walter de Gruyter

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• No two languages are ever sufficiently similar to be considered as representing the same social reality.

  Edward Sapir

  Reality, Two, Language

  Edward Sapir, David Goodman Mandelbaum (1985). “Selected Writings of Edward Sapir in Language, Culture and Personality”, p.162, Univ of California Press

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• In a sense, every form of expression is imposed upon one by social factors, one's own language above all.

  Edward Sapir

  Expression, Language, Social

  Edward Sapir, Pierre Swiggers (2008). “General Linguistics”, p.277, Walter de Gruyter

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• What fetters the mind and benumbs the spirit is ever the dogged acceptance of absolutes.

  Edward Sapir

  Acceptance, Mind, Spirit

  Edward Sapir, David Goodman Mandelbaum (1985). “Selected Writings of Edward Sapir in Language, Culture and Personality”, p.159, Univ of California Press

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• It is quite an illusion to imagine that one adjusts to reality essentially without the use of language and that language is merely an incidental means of solving specific problems of communication or reflection.

  Edward Sapir

  Communication, Mean, Reflection

  Edward Sapir, David Goodman Mandelbaum (1985). “Selected Writings of Edward Sapir in Language, Culture and Personality”, p.162, Univ of California Press

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• Cultural anthropology is not valuable because it uncovers the archaic in the psychological sense. It is valuable because it is constantly rediscovering the normal.

  Edward Sapir

  Normal, Psychological, Anthropology

  Edward Sapir, David Goodman Mandelbaum (1949). “Selected Writings in Language, Culture and Personality”, p.515, Univ of California Press

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• It would be naïve to imagine that any analysis of experience is dependent on pattern expressed in language. Any concept, whether or not it forms part of the system of grammatical categories, can be conveyed in any language. If a notion is lacking in a given series, it implies a different configuration and not a lack of expressive power.

  Edward Sapir

  Patterns, Different, Would Be

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• One of the glories of English simplicity is the possibility of using the same word as noun and verb.

  Edward Sapir

  Simplicity, Verbs, Nouns

  Edward Sapir, Pierre Swiggers (2008). “General Linguistics”, p.268, Walter de Gruyter

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• Fashion is custom in the guise of departure from custom

  Edward Sapir

  Fashion, Departure, Guise

  Edward Sapir, David Goodman Mandelbaum (1985). “Selected Writings of Edward Sapir in Language, Culture and Personality”, p.374, Univ of California Press

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• A standard international language should not only be simple, regular, and logical, but also rich and creative.

  Edward Sapir

  Simple, Creative, Language

  Edward Sapir, Pierre Swiggers (2008). “General Linguistics”, p.281, Walter de Gruyter

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• It is no secret that the fruits of language study are in no sort of relation to the labour spent on teaching and learning them.

  Edward Sapir

  Teaching, Secret, Fruit

  Edward Sapir, David Goodman Mandelbaum (1970). “Culture, Language and Personality”, p.62, Univ of California Press

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• No important national language, at least in the Occidental world, has complete regularity of grammatical structure, nor is there a single logical category which is adequately and consistently handled in terms of linguistic symbolism.

  Edward Sapir

  Symbolism, Important, World

  Edward Sapir, Pierre Swiggers (2008). “General Linguistics”, p.281, Walter de Gruyter

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• As a matter of fact, a national language which spreads beyond its own confines very quickly loses much of its original richness of content and is in no better case than a constructed language.

  Edward Sapir

  Matter, Facts, Language

  Edward Sapir, Pierre Swiggers (2008). “General Linguistics”, p.281, Walter de Gruyter

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• National languages are all huge systems of vested interests which sullenly resist critical inquiry.

  Edward Sapir

  Inquiry, Language, Interest

  Edward Sapir, David Goodman Mandelbaum (1985). “Selected Writings of Edward Sapir in Language, Culture and Personality”, p.118, Univ of California Press

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• English, once accepted as an international language, is no more secure than French has proved to be as the one and only accepted language of diplomacy or as Latin has proved to be as the international language of science.

  Edward Sapir

  Latin, Language, Accepted

  Edward Sapir, David Goodman Mandelbaum (1970). “Culture, Language and Personality”, p.50, Univ of California Press

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• Human beings do not wish to be modest; they want to be as expressive - that is, as immodest - as fear allows; fashion helps them solve that paradoxical problem.

  Edward Sapir

  Fashion, Wish, Want

  Edward Sapir, David Goodman Mandelbaum (1985). “Selected Writings of Edward Sapir in Language, Culture and Personality”, p.380, Univ of California Press

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• The attitude of independence toward a constructed language which all national speakers must adopt is really a great advantage, because it tends to make man see himself as the master of language instead of its obedient servant.

  Edward Sapir

  Attitude, Men, Independence

  Edward Sapir, Pierre Swiggers (2008). “General Linguistics”, p.282, Walter de Gruyter

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• Comparison of statements made at different periods frequently enable us to give maximal and minimal dates to the appearance of a cultural element or to assign the time limits to a movement of population.

  Edward Sapir

  Giving, Limits, Population

  Edward Sapir, David Goodman Mandelbaum (1985). “Selected Writings of Edward Sapir in Language, Culture and Personality”, p.394, Univ of California Press

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• So far as the advocates of a constructed international language are concerned, it is rather to be wondered at how much in common their proposals actually have, both in vocabulary and in general spirit of procedure.

  Edward Sapir

  Vocabulary, Spirit, Common

  Edward Sapir, Pierre Swiggers (2008). “General Linguistics”, p.264, Walter de Gruyter

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• I am convinced that the stratigraphic method will in the future enable archaeology to throw far more light on the history of American culture than it has done in the past.

  Edward Sapir

  Past, Light, Culture

  Edward Sapir, David Goodman Mandelbaum (1985). “Selected Writings of Edward Sapir in Language, Culture and Personality”, p.398, Univ of California Press

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