Quotes by Edward Sapir

About Edward Sapir:

Edward Sapir is widely considered to be one of the most important figures in the early development of the discipline of linguistics.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

More and more, unsolicited gifts from without are likely to be received with unconscious resentment.

Edward Sapir

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

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

Edward Sapir

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

The psychology of a language which, in one way or another, is imposed upon one because of factors beyond one's control, is very different from the psychology of a language which one accepts of one's free will.

Edward Sapir

The supposed inferiority of a constructed language to a national one on the score of richness of connotation is, of course, no criticism of the idea of a constructed language.

Edward Sapir

These examples of the lack of simplicity in English and French, all appearances to the contrary, could be multiplied almost without limit and apply to all national languages.

Edward Sapir

Both French and Latin are involved with nationalistic and religious implications which could not be entirely shaken off, and so, while they seemed for a long time to have solved the international language problem up to a certain point, they did not r...

Edward Sapir

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

Cultural anthropology is more and more rapidly getting to realize itself as a strictly historical science.

Edward Sapir

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

The modern mind tends to be more and more critical and analytical in spirit, hence it must devise for itself an engine of expression which is logically defensible at every point and which tends to correspond to the rigorous spirit of modern science.

Edward Sapir

Author Bio

  • NameEdward Sapir
  • DescriptionAmerican linguist and anthropologist
  • BornJanuary 26, 1884
  • DiedFebruary 4, 1939
  • CountryUnited States Of America
  • ProfessionAnthropologist; Linguist; Sociolinguist