I’m studying ecolinguistics at the moment and feel that it is genuinely improving my mind. If anyone is interested I recommend reading the work of Dr Arran Stibbe, “Ecolingustics: Langauge, Ecology and the Stories We Live By”.

I’m studying ecolinguistics at the moment and feel that it is genuinely improving my mind. If anyone is interested I recommend reading the work of Dr Arran Stibbe, “Ecolingustics: Langauge, Ecology and the Stories We Live By”.

Alternatively the lack of a word can impact too. In Irish we don’t have a word for “to own”. The equivalent phrase to “I own it” is “is liomsa e” which translates directly as “It is with me”. A more transitory relationship with stuff is implied which is a challenge to consumerist mindset.

Language forces our attention in certain directions. By having more words for natural phenomena eg Eskimo’s have 50 words for snow, it forces one to pay attention to the differences between types of snow. That is attention that could have gone elsewhere to less ecological nouns eg types of products

Language can be structured in a way that hinders us from thinking ecologically. Ecolinguistics has the goal of mapping how this happens and offering new framings/metaphors that can rewire our brains to make us see nature better. I’ll give an example…

His appetite for play is substantial