Sometimes I do switch languages mid-thought because I just feel a certain word/idea needs to be said in particular language, in which case I am reasonably certain it is more accurate.
How would you distinguish between ‘it is more accurate to think this thought in language X than language Y’ and ‘language X is a more accurate translation of the underlying thought than language Y’?
How would you distinguish between them? They seem “the same” to me, pretty much
’it is more accurate to think this thought in language X than language Y’ seems to imply that the thought is created as I think
’language X is a more accurate translation of the underlying thought than language Y’ seems to imply that there is already a “wordless” thought that’s waiting to be expressed
’it is more accurate to think this thought in language X than language Y’ seems to imply that the thought is created as I think
’language X is a more accurate translation of the underlying thought than language Y’ seems to imply that there is already a “wordless” thought that’s waiting to be expressed
That’s pretty close to what I’m wondering. Though I would perhaps phrase it more as:
‘it is more accurate to think this thought in language X than language Y ″thinking a thought in language X’ means ‘forming the thought in language X’
‘language X is a more accurate translation of the underlying thought than language Y ″thinking a thought in language X’ means ‘forming the underlying “wordless” thought and translating it to language X’
How would you distinguish between them?
I don’t know if there’s any simple answer here. It might be possible to distinguish them statistically.
Consider the case of “thinking in language X, speaking it in language X, then speaking it in language Y”. Several cases:
If ‘thinking a thought in language X’ means ‘forming the thought in language X’:
You think the thought in language X.
You speak the thought in language X.
You translate the thought directly from language X to language Y.
You speak the thought in language Y.
If ‘thinking a thought in language X’ means ‘forming the underlying “wordless” thought and translating it to language X’, possibility A:
You think an underlying wordless thought.
You translate the wordless thought to language X.
You speak the thought in language X.
You translate the wordless thought to language Y.
You speak the thought in language Y.
If ‘thinking a thought in language X’ means ‘forming the underlying “wordless” thought and translating it to language X’, possibility B:
You think an underlying wordless thought.
You translate the wordless thought to language X.
You speak the thought in language X.
You translate the language X thought directly to language Y.
You speak the thought in language Y.
These three possibilities have different sets of thought translations. If you have a measure of ‘accuracy of translation’, it may be possible to distinguish these[1].
How would you distinguish between ‘it is more accurate to think this thought in language X than language Y’ and ‘language X is a more accurate translation of the underlying thought than language Y’?
How would you distinguish between them?
They seem “the same” to me, pretty much
’it is more accurate to think this thought in language X than language Y’
seems to imply that the thought is created as I think
’language X is a more accurate translation of the underlying thought than language Y’
seems to imply that there is already a “wordless” thought that’s waiting to be expressed
Now that I try to “feel” a difference
That’s pretty close to what I’m wondering. Though I would perhaps phrase it more as:
I don’t know if there’s any simple answer here. It might be possible to distinguish them statistically.
Consider the case of “thinking in language X, speaking it in language X, then speaking it in language Y”. Several cases:
If ‘thinking a thought in language X’ means ‘forming the thought in language X’:
You think the thought in language X.
You speak the thought in language X.
You translate the thought directly from language X to language Y.
You speak the thought in language Y.
If ‘thinking a thought in language X’ means ‘forming the underlying “wordless” thought and translating it to language X’, possibility A:
You think an underlying wordless thought.
You translate the wordless thought to language X.
You speak the thought in language X.
You translate the wordless thought to language Y.
You speak the thought in language Y.
If ‘thinking a thought in language X’ means ‘forming the underlying “wordless” thought and translating it to language X’, possibility B:
You think an underlying wordless thought.
You translate the wordless thought to language X.
You speak the thought in language X.
You translate the language X thought directly to language Y.
You speak the thought in language Y.
These three possibilities have different sets of thought translations. If you have a measure of ‘accuracy of translation’, it may be possible to distinguish these[1].
Especially if someone can think in >2 languages. It may not be possible or practical with 2.