In 1996 Penny Lee's reappraisal of Whorf's writings was published, reinstating Whorf as a serious and capable thinker. Lee argued that previous explorations of the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis had largely ignored Whorf's actual writings, and consequently asked questions very unlike those Whorf had asked.
In 1996, Penny Lee's re-examination of Whorf's work brought him back into the realm of serious and capable thinkers. She argued that previous studies on the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis had failed to engage with Whorf's actual writings, resulting in inquiries that were not aligned with his own research questions.