shneancy@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
i always use this as an example of how deeply the languages we use shape how we understand the world
even the answer to the question “how many fingers do you have?” changes depending on the language, and that’s a physical fact that seems to not have any degree of subjectivity to it
Samsy@lemmy.ml 3 weeks ago
Eight. A thumb is not a finger.
Lumidaub@feddit.org 3 weeks ago
I’ve never seen an explanation why though.
ChairmanMeow@programming.dev 3 weeks ago
Depends on your definition. Wikipedia is either ambivalent about it, or lists the thumb as a finger.
In Dutch, thumbs are fingers, and there’s word for “digit” in the context of fingers and toes.
MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 3 weeks ago
What is it then, a leg? That’s dumb.