The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

Words help us categorize things around us. Word meanings determine, to a large extent, the way the native speakers understand the world around them. What is referred to by the single word rice in English is categorized in Japanese into several notions(稲, 米, ご飯) depending on the state and function of the grain. Conversely, what is referred to by the single word 羊 in Japanese is divided in English into sheep, ram, ewe, lamb, and mutton(meat), depending on sex, age and function.