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Stephanie Douglas

Honors 211C / Slavic 425: Ways of Meaning

1 March 2017

Honors Paper

Universal vs. Culture-Specific Aspects of Language

On the first day of Ways of Meaning, our class of bright-eyed students was asked what

words we thought have universal meanings. Back then it seemed as though there were so many

words that would be universal. The class threw out terms like moon, sleep, and child.

Throughout the course Ive come to be skeptical of anything labeled universal. The presence of

culture in language was a vague notion to me originally, but now I understand the large impact

that culture has over languages, and how much a seemingly universal term can actually differ in

different languages.

The first concept we learned about in Ways of Meaning is a collection of words called the

Natural Semantic Metalanguage. This has been a foundation for discussing topics in this course.

The Natural Semantic Metalanguage is a set of words that do not rely on culture to communicate

meaning; the words can be assembled to form clear definitions that can be understood across

languages. This metalanguage contains words such as someone, live, and good

(Natural Semantic 3). These words have been thoroughly researched and approved by

linguists, and the meanings found to be present around the world. They are considered semantic

primitives, in other words they cannot be defined (Understanding Cultures 25). But they contain

defining power, so when combined with other words they can define a cultural linguistic concept

or word. Because the words in this collection can be translated across all languages and do not

contain cultural ties, these words are universal. However, not all words and concepts are not free
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from cultural ties like the words of the Natural Semantic Metalanguage. Many words have a

strong connection to culture.

The concept of Freedom carries culture in its meaning. In English freedom has to do with

being able to do things one wants without interference and being able to not do what one doesnt

want to do (Understanding Cultures 129). Noninterference is an important Anglo value. If you

translate freedom into Russian, you find the word svoboda. But this doesnt tell the whole story,

because just as freedom carries Anglo culture, svoboda carries its own cultural flavor. Svoboda

can be described as an absence of restraints and pressures (Understanding Cultures 139). It gives

the image of loosening a straightjacket or perhaps the traditional Russian swaddling clothes

(Understanding Cultures 140). With these two words we see similar concepts, but not identical.

The concept of freedom demonstrates how concepts and words may appear universal on the

surface, but are not. Before taking this class, I would have said that freedom is a universal

concept, but now I understand how much culture impacts language.

Specific words are not the only aspects of language impacted by culture. There are many

linguistic routines that differ across cultures. For example, in English a common exchange is

the greeting, Hello, how are you? and the response, Im fine, thank you, and you? While a

familiar routine in America, this linguistic routine is far from universal. In Russian, for example,

asking someone how are you? is a serious question that the asker should be prepared to hear a

genuine answer to. A particular topic that surprised me was that of refusing something for

politeness. In American culture if someone offers you something that you want, perhaps a tasty

hors doeuvre, you are allowed to accept it when they ask. But in class we discussed that in some

cultures, for instance Polish, it is a requirement to refuse a few times until youve been

sufficiently begged to take it. This concept is foreign to me, and therefore is clearly culture-
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specific. Similarly, in class we discussed how English speech tends toward brevity and

understatement. This contrasts with a common practice in some cultures, especially in Middle

Eastern countries, of exaggeration. A particularly potent quote that we read illustrated this: a man

welcomes a friend to his house saying the house is yours; you can burn it if you wish. My

children are also at your disposal; I would sacrifice them all for your pleasure (Anglo Cultural

27). It would be baffling for someone in the United States to casually utter this remark. These

striking speech differences encourage me to deeply investigate a culture before traveling to

another country, because these linguistic rituals make me realize how easy it is to offend

someone due to cultural ignorance.

The way one converses with another is even affected by culture. In Anglo culture it rude

to interrupt someone; you listen intently until it is your turn to speak. This is not the case

universally. For example, the French may frequently finish each others sentences or supply

words for their companion. This cooperative interruption is seen positively; it shows that the

listener is paying attention. With the importance of individual autonomy influencing the English

language, an interruption is not viewed so positively. With this we see more examples of culture-

specific aspects of language.

Culture even goes beyond language, influencing behaviors. Smiling was a topic in the

course, as not all cultures treat the act of smiling the same way. In the United States smiling to a

stranger is not considered strange. But in some countries you may seem rather dorky. Some

cultures even associate smiles with dishonesty or stupidity. For an act so basic to my culture, it is

very eye opening to see how differently it can be viewed outside my countrys borders.

After learning about all of these aspects that are culture-specific, I emerge from this class

with new knowledge about cultures and a critical eye for what is considered universal. While
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universal aspects do exist, such as with the Natural Semantic Metalanguage, I have come to

realize that words and concepts are often more nuanced than they first appear. And I have a new

appreciation for culture and the impact it has on language.

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Works Cited

Wierzbicka, Anna. "Anglo Cultural Scripts Seen through Middle Eastern Eyes." English:

Meaning and Culture. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2006. 21-58.

Wierzbicka, Anna. "Natural Semantic Metalanguage." Wiley Online Library. John Wiley & Sons,

Inc., 27 Apr. 2015. Web. 01 Mar. 2017.

Wierzbicka, Anna. Understanding Cultures through Their Key Words: English, Russian, Polish,

German, and Japanese. New York: Oxford UP, 1997. Print.