[advice_guru]

I have a few questions regarding object recognition. We live in a world where we can see and feel objects around us, the brain needs to understand these objects and recognise them. Here are my questions:

1. Is it possible to recognise an object without saying its name (in any language) in your head.

2. If you know what an object is called in more than one language, which language would you recognise it in.

[theandyguthrie]

I think if the answer to your first question is yes (which i think it is) your second question is invalid.

[Space Jockey]

If it's a two stage process, i.e. you recognise something and then you state the terminology for that thing in your head, I believe that the former comes first and then is followed by the latter.

Same with faces I guess. I will recognise the face first then attach a name to it later.

[mikeyd85]

1. Yes.
2. In the language I speak most at the time.

[Miracle Day]

You recognise it and then process the terminology in your thought language (mine is English) and then you can translate to a different language.

[Manitude]

There are many things we can recognise without knowing the 'name' of it. This is why words like "whatsigummit", "flibbertigibbet*" and "thingymajig" persist.

*I am aware that the original meaning of this is very different to the modern usage.

[twinlensreflex]

I think of the name after, more often than that it just ends up as 'thingy' seeing as my memory is awful

Even though I barely speak French I will think/say some things in French rather than English. I don't why either.

[Joinedup]

Yeah you can recognise things without knowing names. Heard some neuro bloke on the radio explaining that recall and recognition are 2 distinct processes.