The principle of
linguistic relativity holds that the structure of a
language affects its speakers'
world view or
cognition. Popularly known as the
Sapir–Whorf hypothesis, or
Whorfianism, the principle is often defined to include two versions. The
strong version says that language determines thought, and that linguistic categories limit and determine cognitive categories, whereas the
weak version says that linguistic categories and usage only influence thought and certain kinds of non-linguistic behavior.