Thinking across languages and cultures: six dimensions of variation

Abstract

This article surveys cross-linguistic variation in ways of talking about 'thinking'. It begins by summarizing research indicating that there is a universal semantic prime THINK which can provide a stable reference point for cross-linguistic comparison. Six different dimensions of variability are then canvassed: different patterns of lexical polysemy, different degrees and modes of lexical elaboration, different ethnotheories of the person, different ways in which think-related messages can be encoded morphosyntactically, different cultural scripts which may encourage or discourage particular ways of thinking, and differing patterns of usage in discourse. The article is framed within the natural semantic metalanguage theory.