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lexical gaps
If a Language Has No Word for “Hand,” Does the Hand Disappear? — What Yélî Dnye Can Teach Us About Words and Concepts
Language as a Way of Thinking
Tymur Levitin
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30.10.2026
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14 min read
If a Language Has No Word for “Hand,” Does the Hand Disappear? — What Yélî Dnye Can Teach Us About Words and Concepts
A language can draw a boundary differently without making the reality on either side disappear. Imagine pointing to your hand and asking someone: What is this? For an English speaker, the answer seems almost embarrassingly obvious. A hand. The category feels natural because the anatomy feels natural. The wrist seems to provide a visible boundary. […]
Tymur Levitin
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