XIII Международная студенческая научная конференция Студенческий научный форум - 2021

As we think, so we speak - as we speak, so we think

Harry Hoijer, American linguist

The link between language, culture and national character

In Greek, chavakter means “be etched into”, “token”. Character is a set of stable characteristics or traits of an individual. These traits develop and manifest themselves in activities and communication, and determine the typical ways of person’s behaviour.

The German linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt suggested that through the prism of language, one could understand the character of the people. For Humboldt it is language that serves as the civilizing force leading the individual to self-consciousness and societal interaction and thus involves a positive relation to the other.Language always contains a fusion of the original linguistic character with what is extracted from the character of the nation. People exist only in language, they must first be formed with the help of language. Every culture is national, its national character is expressed in language through a special vision of the world. Acording to W. Humboldt language has an internal form specific to each nation. Reality changes, cultural and national stereotypes modify, and the language itself undergo changes.

National character is enduring personality characteristics and unique life styles found among the populations of particular national states. Each national character is distinguished by a number of features that leave their mark on the interpretation of the realities of the world of representatives of this nation. The national character has being formed throughout almost the entire history of the people, and its specific features are formed depending on traditions, culture, external and natural habitat.

As we learn our language from our mother's lips, we also learn the customs and attitudes of our society, for language reflects these customs and attitudes. That is, language reflects culture.

The American linguist Ernst Pulgram in his book “Language and national character” provides us with a very clear example of how language can influence people’s mind and character. Pulgram compares the words, which mothers tell their children when they are crying. When the English-speaking boy misbehaves, his mother tells him: “John, be good”. It means that John’s behaviour is bad or wicked. Instead, it should be good. When the Italian-speaking boy is crying, his mother tell him “Jean, sois sage”, which means – “be wise”. The French-speaking child, who misbehaves, is not bad, he or she are foolish and imprudent. In the Scandinavian countries, things are different again. The Swedish mother says: "John, var snäll", which means “be friendly, be kind.” Therefore, the misbehaving Scandinavian child is unfriendly or unkind. In Germany, everything is very different. "Hans, sei artig”, which is translated as “be in line”. The misbehaving German child is out of step. A mother of the Hopi Indians has the same idea, only in a more gentle spirit, when she tells her child: “No, no, no, that is not the Hopi way.” Hopi is the right.

The Russian scholar K. Kasyanova thinks that the national character is a “society within us” that exists in the form of similar reactions to familiar situations in the form of feelings and states. People of the same culture have these similar reactions.“Society within us” is a part of our personality. The main carrier of the ethnic principle in any nation is religion, folklore, and mythology.

The Russian linguists E. M. Vereshchagin and V. G. Kostomarov in their work "Language and Culture" argue that people do not become the Russian, or German, or Japanese, etc. when they have just been born, but become any of them when they have spent enough time in the corresponding national community of people. The upbringing of a child passes through the influence of national culture, the carriers of which are the surrounding people. However, a huge role in the formation of personality is played by language, which is inseparably linked with culture, and thus, personality is a product of language.

At the level of ordinary consciousness, the existence of a national character is beyond question. When people are staying abroad for a long time, it reinforces the belief that the people of another community are very different from anybody else in many ways. The difference is evidenced by the features of their life sometimes even the appearance, their behavior, etc.

It is obvious that the main cultural load is carried by vocabulary: words and phrases. They form a linguistic view of the world, which determines the perception of the world by native speakers of this language. Especially vividly and clearly this aspect is represented by stable expressions, phraseological units, proverbs, sayings, which keep cultural experience of the people. Therefore, it is necessary to study idiomatic expressions that reflect and form those qualities and shortcomings of a person that are valued or condemned in the appropriate society and culture.

Some researchers believe that the national character exists only in ordinary consciousness, but not in scientific one. They suppose that any generalization at the level of "typical" features of the people is conditional and strained.

The German writer Heinrich Böll stated his opinion on this point especially sharply. He mocked and criticized the stereotypes that relate to perception of the national character and named them "literary prejudices". According to these quite wide-spread stereotypes, “the Russians certainly have the beard and obsessive passions”, “the Dutch are clumsy as children and naïve”, “the British are boring”, “the French is overly sensitive”, the Germans are either completely absorbed by the music, or continually absorb sauerkraut” and “the Hungarians are insanely passionate and mysterious”.

The Russian national character

The Russian philosopher N. Lossky in his work "The Character of the Russian People" mentions the main features of the national character of the Russian people: religiosity, empathy to the world and people, will power, rebellion, hope for good luck. Among the most important qualities of the Russians, he also refers to freedom, kindness, talent, nihilism, maximalism.The Russian novelist N. Gogol, for example, believed that the Russian person is not capable of reflection, volitional effort and self-improvement.

Another Russian philosopher N. Berdyaev believed that for the Russian history such concept as knighthood is nor familiar and common. That is why the Russians are characterized by the lack of character, lack of personality. The Russian soul is “suppressed” by our country’s vast expanses. The form of the state made the Russians formless, lazy, careless and inert. The Russian man is waiting for God to organize his soul and arrange his life.

An important feature of the Russian people is humility. "Humility was the only form of personal discipline. It is better to sin humbly than to be involved in self-improvement and to boast it. The Russian man is accustomed to think that dishonesty is not a great evil, if at the same time he or she are humble in their souls…" N. Berdyaev also pointed out the sluggishness and inertia of thought, disbelief in it.

The Russian linguist V.V. Vorobyov believes that the dominant characteristics of the Russian people are faith, hope, unity, responsiveness, etc. According to N.V. Ufimtseva, the characteristics of Russians are kindness in its manifestations in relation to others: benevolence, cordiality, responsiveness, generosity, compassion. etc. Qualities of character that reflect the general style of behavior are simplicity, openness, and honesty.

List of references:

1) [Электронныйисточник]: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/wilhelm-humboldt/#HumbApprAnthPoliAest

2) [Электронныйисточник]: Encyclopedia

https://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences-and-law/sociology-and-social-reform/sociology-general-terms-and-concepts/national-character

3) Касьянова К. О русском национальном характере. – М., 1994, с. 121

4) [Электронный источник]: Лосский Н. Характер русского народа, Посев, 1957

http://www.odinblago.ru/russk_harakter/

5) Верещагин Е.М., Костомаров В.Г., Язык и культура, М: Индрик, 2005

6) [Электронныйисточник]: Pulgram E., Language and national character

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00335635409382006

7) [Электронныйисточник]: The Moscow Times: Russians, Europeans and Mutual Suspicion

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2015/02/15/russians-europeans-and-mutual-suspicion-a43902

8) Бердяев Н.А., Русская идея, М: 2004., с. 17, 96, 111, 230

9) Воробьев В.В., Линговкультурология, М: 1997.

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