The Hopi Language – Time as a Cycle, Not a Line

On 19 February 2025   /   News   /   Leave a comment
The Hopi Language – Time as a Cycle, Not a Line

Can you imagine a language that does not distinguish between past and future? In the Hopi language, spoken by the Hopi Native American people in Arizona, time is not treated as something linear but as a cycle. There is no future or past tense in the same sense as in most Indo-European languages. Instead, the Hopi perceive reality in terms of the “manifested” and the “non-manifest.” What does it mean for Hopi speakers? In practice, this means that sentences which in English or Polish would be clearly anchored in time can have ambiguous meanings in Hopi. For example, in English, we would say, “Tomorrow I will go to the market,” which clearly indicates the future. Meanwhile, in Hopi, the construction would be more descriptive, such as, “I am going to the market,” with the future implied by context or possibly by a time-indicating word, but not by the verb itself.

Read more →
Back to Top

The Pirahã Language – No Numbers or Colors

On 16 January 2025   /   News   /   Leave a comment
The Pirahã Language – No Numbers or Colors

The Pirahã language, spoken by a small group of indigenous people living along the Maici River in the Brazilian state of Amazonas, is one of the most extraordinary languages in the world. The number of its speakers is estimated at only a few hundred, and their culture and language have remained almost entirely isolated from outside influences for centuries. This isolation has allowed the Pirahã language to retain many unique features that continue to astonish linguists and anthropologists worldwide. The issue of numerals One of the most remarkable aspects of the Pirahã language is the absence of numerals, not even a word for “one.” Instead, the Pirahã use descriptive terms such as “a little” or “a lot,” meaning they do not think in terms of precise numbers. In practice, this means that in the Pirahã culture, there is no mathematics as we know it, nor is there a concept of

Read more →
Back to Top

December: Unraveling the Origins of the Name Across Cultures

On 13 December 2023   /   News   /   Leave a comment

December: Unraveling the Origins of the Name Across Cultures As winter wraps the world in its icy embrace, the month of December takes centre stage, adorned with festive lights and holiday cheer. But have you ever wondered about the origins of the name “December” and how different cultures have shaped its linguistic identity? Let’s embark on a linguistic journey to unravel the fascinating tales behind the name of the twelfth month. The name “December” finds its roots in Latin, originating from the word “decem,” meaning ten. In the original Roman calendar, which began in March, December was indeed the tenth month. The calendar underwent revisions over time, with January and February added later, but the names of the months remained unchanged. In Old English, December was referred to as “Ƿintir-mōnaþ,” meaning “winter month.” This name eloquently captures the essence of the season, emphasizing the colder, darker days that define the

Read more →
Back to Top