Is There a Linguistic Relativity Principle? On the Verification of the Sapir-Whorf-Hypothesis

Benjamin L. Whorf's provocative thesis that human thinking depends on the "grammar" people speak is still highly controversial. In this paper I make a suggestion for a more rational solution of the problem. Whorf's crucial example, the conceptualization of space and time in the Hopi language, has been re-analyzed on the grounds of new material collected during field-work on the Hopi reservation. The results of Dr. Malotki's research into Hopi space are also mentioned. We would both like to correct some of Whorf's statements. Finally this paper presents the Hopi view of the world and outlines a general solution for the basic problem: the interrelationship between thinking, language, and culture