Seminar 4 Language- culture-man-ethnos

Seminar 4
Language- culture-man-ethnos

Language and culture are connected. There is a close relationship between language and culture because it is impossible to understand a culture without language, and backward. People who live in a certain area share their common set of beliefs, cultural values, and language, even if it is a minor dialect.

This article will tell about the role of culture and language and their importance.
What is Culture?
It is hard to determine what is culture. There are lots of definitions in the world dictionaries which try to scale this phenomenon because it is broad and has multifaceted nature. Usually, people believe that culture consists of basic assumptions, values, patterns of behavior, attitudes, and beliefs of a certain group of people. They are usually limited by a certain geographical region and have set characteristics for individual members which may also act as a group or adopt culture individually. Individuals learn culture from a group where they were born and pass it on to the other members of society. We can say that the culture is being constantly created by each of the members who share a set of patterns.
Read also: Best Chinese to English translation tips for different dialects.
The word “culture” itself has Latin origins. It came from the word “colere,” which means to grow from the earth. So, certain cultures also “grow” from land and people who create it. The importance of language and culture is great, as culture may create traditions, religion, cuisine, arts, and fashion. However, its innate factors are the most important because culture tells people who they are by implicit code of behavior and set of shared beliefs. However, it’s worth noting that culture may be different for people within a certain group. Because people have different characteristics as personalities, they see culture through different lenses, which still means that they are members of the same cultural group.
Why is Language an Important Part of Culture?
On the other hand, language is more material than culture. It is a system that people use to communicate. It consists of sound and written elements that are used by people of particular territory for communication with each other. Language appears to be more of an exact science because it has a certain set of characters, rules, grammar, and so on. Still, there are wide relationships between language and culture. The language is initially learned from language surrounding like parents and peers, and later some of its aspects like writing or rules are learned at schools. Specified teaching is important for language because even in the case of native language, it has to be learned. To fully master it, you need to write, listen, speak, and read using the language.
With the help of language, we share ideas and interact with each other. The history of languages is vast and interesting because some of them evolved from others many years ago, which may be seen in their patterns and constructions nowadays. Still, it is hard to say which one was the first, and how exactly it was formed. Nowadays, we can see how languages evolve into each other if we look at Spanish in Spain and Latin America. It is different because people who brought Spanish to South America where they developed their settlements and started to live on new territory which led to changes in the language. Therefore, for an accurate translation, choose a trusted Spanish translation company.
What Is the Connection Between Language and Culture?
Rita Mae Brown said: “Language is the Roadmap to Culture.” Indeed, language and culture are closely intertwined, as in some cases, they mean the same. There is a complex relationship between them because they are tied to each other. A child learns culture simultaneously with language, so for them, it is the same. They are indivisible parts because even when members of a certain culture go abroad, they are easy to recognize if they speak the local language and vice versa. Another point is, when people learn a new language, it also means learning a new culture. For example, there may be words for phenomena that don’t exist in the country of the learner. The Japanese language has the word “komorebi,” which means a phenomenon when sunlight is filtered through the leaves. So, with this word, a learner will get a Japanese approach to nature and beauty. The relationship between language and culture is very strong in this example.
Why Is Language an Essential Component?
It’s impossible to experience the culture without knowing the language because they are closely linked in people’s mindsets. That is why when people learn a new language, they often read authentic texts, visit countries, and speak with natives. They read about the country, its customs, and beliefs. Such learners usually achieve high results because they have an all-round approach to culture and language which always go hand in hand. The same goes for translation because a good specialist will always know the culture of the target country, for example, French document translation will demand a different approach than the Arabic one. Usually, translators are strict with cultures because the smallest word or “innocent” joke can offense people of the target language.
What Appeared First, Culture or Language?
It is hard to say how is language related to culture in terms of the time of creation. There are reasons to say that they appeared simultaneously. For example, scientists say that people did not develop a language for one day, and top theories say that words came from simple sounds that were meant to show the essence of things. That is why language is filled with onomatopoeia created words. The process of language creation was steady and slow. On the other side, culture didn’t form fast either. People who lived together at one territory began to share thoughts, create things, clothes, believe in the same gods. Simultaneously, the language evolved and became more advanced, which provoked the new wave of cultural development.
How Do Language and Culture Influence Each Other?
As people often don’t know what appeared first, culture or language, they don’t know what is more important for them, language or culture. However, if you understand the culture, it may help you in learning and backward. If a traveler heads to another culture, they learn main customs and traditions, as well as few words to get by. The same happens with each of us when we want to experience a new culture or language, so it doesn’t matter which aspect appeared first. It’s hard to imagine that they developed on their own because they have so much in common.