The article specifically mentions examples like thunder as a verb vs noun, and time as passing objects vs recurring.
Obviously as a species we can develop concepts we have no words for to begin with, this is evolution. But that would also mean that they can evolve separately, which in turn means different languages can have different concepts that can't be translated. At least not without detours, or loss of meaning. Much more abstract concepts than airplanes.
I remember asking my friends the other day: "is there a word for karma, that also encompasses the effects your poor actions have on innocent people around you?"
That is a concept very closely related to a concept we already have a word for, so it wasn't too difficult to explain. What I imagine it really means is that there could be concepts I can't even fathom because my imagination is only articulated in the languages I understand.
Ps. The word we ended up with was "splash karma" or "collateral karma".
Obviously as a species we can develop concepts we have no words for to begin with, this is evolution. But that would also mean that they can evolve separately, which in turn means different languages can have different concepts that can't be translated. At least not without detours, or loss of meaning. Much more abstract concepts than airplanes.
I remember asking my friends the other day: "is there a word for karma, that also encompasses the effects your poor actions have on innocent people around you?"
That is a concept very closely related to a concept we already have a word for, so it wasn't too difficult to explain. What I imagine it really means is that there could be concepts I can't even fathom because my imagination is only articulated in the languages I understand.
Ps. The word we ended up with was "splash karma" or "collateral karma".