But the Aboriginal language spoken in that region of Australia—along with a third of the world’s languages—use cardinal directions, which direct toward the four points on a compass, to discuss space. Someone speaking one of these languages might say something like, “My knife is southeast of my plate” or “Jackie is standing to the north of Trisha.”5 Because of their language, they are always aware of the sun’s position in the sky and develop an awareness of their changing orientation as they navigate their surroundings.
