Why Some Languages Don’t Have Words for Left or Right?

Why Some Languages Don’t Have Words for Left or Right?

Can You Live Without Left and Right?

Try this: Close your eyes and point to the north.

Now try giving directions to your favorite café without saying “left” or “right.” Could you manage?

For most of us, that’s nearly impossible. But for many people around the world — it’s the only way they know how to speak.

Some languages don’t have words for “left” or “right” at all. Instead, they describe direction using cardinal points like north, south, east, and west - a concept known as geocentric language.

This seemingly small difference in speech reveals something astonishing: language deeply shapes how we think, remember, and even perceive the world.

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Egocentric vs Geocentric: Two Ways to Map the World

Let’s break it down.

Egocentric Language

• Uses the speaker’s body as a frame of reference.

• Common in English, Spanish, Hindi, Japanese.

• Directions are relative: left, right, front, back.

Example: “The book is to your left.”

Geocentric Language

• Uses absolute directions: north, south, east, west.

• Common in several indigenous languages around the world.

• The direction is fixed, regardless of your body orientation.

Example: “The book is to the west of your foot.”

This means speakers must always be aware of cardinal directions, even indoors or at night. And they are. These people consistently outperform GPS-equipped travelers in orientation and memory tasks.

Languages Without “Left” or “Right” (and How They Work)

Here are some real-world examples of cultures that don’t rely on egocentric direction:

1. Guugu Yimithirr (Australia)

• Famous for being the source of the word “kangaroo”.

• Doesn’t use left/right — only cardinal directions.

• A speaker might say:

• “Move the cup to the north of the plate.”

2. Tzeltal (Mexico)

• Uses an uphill/downhill orientation (due to mountainous terrain).

• “Uphill” = south, “downhill” = north.

• People often say: “Put it uphill of the tree.”

 3. Kuuk Thaayorre (Australia)

• Speakers know the exact direction they’re facing at all times.

• Children learn to orient using sun, wind, and surroundings from early childhood.

• Even in new places, they instantly realign their mental compass.

 4. Balinese (Indonesia)

• Uses a spiritual orientation system: 

• Kaja = toward the mountain (north-ish)

• Kelod = toward the sea (south-ish)

• Combined with sacred temple geography 

What Research Says: Language Shapes Thought

Linguist and cognitive scientist Lera Boroditsky has spent years studying how these language patterns affect cognition.

In one experiment, Kuuk Thaayorre speakers were asked to arrange pictures in chronological order (e.g., a banana being eaten). They always did so from east to west, regardless of how they were positioned.

Meanwhile, English speakers arranged them left to right, matching the direction of reading. 

Key takeaway:
Your concept of time and memory can literally change based on how your language talks about space.

This is called the linguistic relativity hypothesis or more popularly, the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis. 

What Happens in the Brain?

When researchers scanned the brains of geocentric speakers doing orientation tasks, they found:

• Greater activation in the parietal lobe, responsible for spatial awareness.

• Faster navigation problem-solving, even in unfamiliar terrain.

In short: language doesn’t just reflect what we know. It shapes what we can know. 

Why This Matters Beyond Language

These insights touch multiple fields:

• Education: Should we teach spatial reasoning earlier?

• AI & Robotics: How do we train machines to think in space?

• Mental Health: Could re-framing the way we speak change how we perceive anxiety or time? 

And culturally:

• Western societies may view time as linear (left to right), but Aboriginal Australians and Amhara Ethiopians often see time as cyclical or vertical.

• Language affects everything from map-making to ritual to architecture. 

Here’s a quick mental exercise:

1. Stand up and figure out which way is north (without GPS).

2. Look at an object and describe its location in cardinal terms (e.g., “My laptop is west of my mug.”)

3. Navigate your house for a day without using “left” or “right.”

It’s harder than it sounds — and opens your brain to a new way of seeing.

Want to Learn More?

If you're curious to explore how language shapes reality, here are some excellent resources:

 Online Courses 

     The Science of Language (Coursera)

 Recommended Books

1. “Through the Language Glass” by Guy Deutscher

2. “The Stuff of Thought” by Steven Pinker

3. “You Are What You Speak” by Robert Lane Greene

 Language Apps

• Babbel, Duolingo, italki – Learn a new language and discover new ways of thinking. 

Language doesn’t just let us describe the world - it helps us see it.

If your native tongue only knows left and right, you’re using a compass built around your own body. But for many people, the world is a much more anchored place tied to stars, seas, mountains, and wind.

Learning how others speak helps us understand how we all think differently - and just how flexible and fascinating the human mind truly is!