  Prominent questions about the role of sensory vs. linguistic input in the way
we acquire and use language have been extensively studied in the
psycholinguistic literature. However, the relative effect of various factors in
a person's overall experience on their linguistic system remains unclear. We
study this question by making a step forward towards a better understanding of
the conceptual perception of colors by color-blind individuals, as reflected in
their spontaneous linguistic productions. Using a novel and carefully curated
dataset, we show that red-green color-blind speakers use the "red" and "green"
color terms in less predictable contexts, and in linguistic environments
evoking mental image to a lower extent, when compared to their normal-sighted
counterparts. These findings shed some new and interesting light on the role of
sensory experience on our linguistic system.
