Final answer:
The notion that there is no inherent linkage between words and their meanings is known as 'arbitrariness in language.' Words function as symbols agreed upon by a specific community, and according to the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, language influences our perception and cognition, shaping our reality.
Step-by-step explanation:
“Arbitrariness in language” is the notion that in human language, words are arbitrarily connected to the things for which they stand. This concept is foundational to linguistic theory and suggests that there is no inherent or necessary connection between the signifiers (words) and the signified (the concepts or objects they represent). Words are simply agreed-upon symbols within a specific linguistic community. The idea resonates with Saussure's linguistic theory, which differentiates between the abstract system of language (langue) and the actual use of language in daily life (parole).
The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, or linguistic relativity, provides a related insight, proposing that language shapes our thoughts and perceptions and, consequently, our reality. According to this hypothesis, the language we use influences how we experience the world, which impacts our cognition and behavior. It implies that without the linguistic terms to describe a phenomenon, one may be unable to recognize or experience it fully. Research has illustrated this with examples such as the influence of different cultures’ perception of color, or how some languages may have multiple words for a concept that other languages express with only one. This highlights the deep connection between our language, our thought processes, and our interaction with the world.
In contrast to earlier theories that considered language a direct mirror of reality, modern linguistic philosophy, influenced by thinkers like Frege, Wittgenstein, and the structuralists, recognizes that natural language is full of ambiguity and abstraction. Instead, it's through the use of language, embedded with cultural meanings, that we navigate and construct our realities, using such elements as metaphors to express more abstract concepts.