I think it’s needless to say that language can say a lot about the society and culture of a country or region. Certain words that are unique to a language and can’t be directly translated into other languages (like the German “Schadenfreude”) show some differences there are between certain cultures, like the ways of the Aborigines to describe where something is located, using the directions of the sky instead of “over there” or “here” etc.
What I find even more interesting is the things we give away or keep to ourselves using language. In German, which is my first language, you usually always state the gender of the person you’re with. So if I was to say I had lunch with a coworker, it’s always a male (Kollege) or a female (Kollegin) and not just a coworker. Meanwhile in English you can add that information or just leave it out.
I actually noticed something funny about the English language in that aspect: definitely correct me if I’m wrong but from the top of my head, the only words that have both female and male version I can think of are actor, actress and waiter, waitress. I feel like especially with the actress this has to do with the significance of the American film industry.
Are there any other aspects in languages that seem to tell something interesting about the country’s or region’s use of language or culture/society?
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