Soccer + Linguistics = Love
Here’s a cool article picked up by the Christian Science Moniter
(again! I know!) that originally appeared on the writer’s blog. David
Keyes, a PhD student in Anthropology at UC San Diego, explains the
connection between soccer and linguistics through the Sapir-Whorf
theory.
Definition:
In a nutshell, the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis states that language
doesn’t just describe reality – it shapes the way we perceive it. As
anthropologist Edward Sapir put it in 1929: “Language is a guide to
’social reality’…. The fact of the matter is that the ‘real world’ is
to a large extent unconsciously built upon the language habits of the
group. No two languages are ever sufficiently similar to be
considered as representing the same social reality.”
In the Japanese language, for example, the word for self is jibun.
This word is made up of two parts, ji, which means part, and bun,
which means group. Put together, jibun literally means part of a
group. This has profound implications for the way the Japanese
typically conceive of the self. Unlike Western culture, which
emphasizes an individual’s autonomy, Japanese culture views people
always within the context of a group.
He goes on to define some fancy Costa Rican soccer moves, and to
explain the sociological importance of their names. La
plancha, for example, is literally defined as an iron to remove
wrinkles, but in soccer means a “straight-legged, cleats-up tackle.
Because there is a single word that describes this type of tackle,
Spanish-speakers are more likely to be aware of the offense (and thus
take offense at it being employed against them.)”
Keyes goes further in his explanation of the reality created by
language — read his blog.
