In Greek, the word for yes sounds a lot like “Nay” and in Greece, people say it a lot. It keeps feeling like they’re being vehemently negative but then you realize that they’re being vehemently positive instead. It can turn your whole perception upside down.
I hardly ever heard anyone say “No” in Greek (it’s “oxi”) and it made me wonder if the extra syllable of the word discouraged people from using it. Does the language help these folks tilt toward the positive?
How influential is language on the personality of the speakers?
English has an unusual number of monosyllabic words – does that make us inclined to be briefer -shorter – more succinct?
I know not.
The Hamlet Project 