Single Idea 23992

[catalogued under 18. Thought / A. Modes of Thought / 3. Emotions / b. Types of emotion]

Full Idea

The Pintupi Aborigines of the Western Australian Desert have no less than fifteen words for different types of fear, including one for a sudden fear which leads one to stand up to see what caused it.

Gist of Idea

Some Aborigines have fifteen different words for types of fear

Source

Peter Goldie (The Emotions [2000], 4 'Evidence')

Book Reference

Goldie,Peter: 'The Emotions' [OUP 2002], p.91


A Reaction

Reminiscent of the many Inuit words for snow, but this time it is about human experience, rather than the environment. We must assume they can distinguish the different types, so these gradations are real.