- ThinkBlog - http://thinkblog.org -

Backs to the Future

Posted By Michael On 22nd June 2006 @ 02:55 In language & linguistics | No Comments

[1] Backs to the Future from [2] PhysOrg.com

New analysis of the language and gesture of South America’s indigenous Aymara people indicates they have a concept of time opposite to all the world’s studied cultures — so that the past is ahead of them and the future behind.
[[3] ]

This is a highly interesting phenomenon.  We’ve always taken for an axiom of psychology that peoples all over the world have used the position of “forward” to conceive of the future and “rearward” for the past.  What, then, of these peoples of South America, who defy this axiom?

Technorati Tags: [4] cognition, [5] language, [6] South America, [7] tribe

Backs to the Future

Posted By Michael On 22nd June 2006 @ 02:55 In language & linguistics | No Comments

[8] Backs to the Future from [9] PhysOrg.com

New analysis of the language and gesture of South America’s indigenous Aymara people indicates they have a concept of time opposite to all the world’s studied cultures — so that the past is ahead of them and the future behind.
[[10] ]

This is a highly interesting phenomenon.  We’ve always taken for an axiom of psychology that peoples all over the world have used the position of “forward” to conceive of the future and “rearward” for the past.  What, then, of these peoples of South America, who defy this axiom?

Technorati Tags: [11] cognition, [12] language, [13] South America, [14] tribe


Article printed from ThinkBlog: http://thinkblog.org

URL to article: http://thinkblog.org/2006/06/22/backs-to-the-future/

URLs in this post:
[1] Backs to the Future: http://www.physorg.com/news69338070.html
[2] PhysOrg.com: http://www.physorg.com
[3] …: http://www.physorg.com/news69338070.html
[4] cognition: http://technorati.com/tag/cognition
[5] language: http://technorati.com/tag/language
[6] South America: http://technorati.com/tag/South%20America
[7] tribe: http://technorati.com/tag/tribe
[8] Backs to the Future: http://www.physorg.com/news69338070.html
[9] PhysOrg.com: http://www.physorg.com
[10] …: http://www.physorg.com/news69338070.html
[11] cognition: http://technorati.com/tag/cognition
[12] language: http://technorati.com/tag/language
[13] South America: http://technorati.com/tag/South%20America
[14] tribe: http://technorati.com/tag/tribe

Click here to print.