Why can words such as honour and justice have different meanings in different cultural contexts?

In the context of the philosophy of Hilary Putnam, the variation of meaning across different cultural contexts is a feature of linguistic practice known as context-dependence.1

Putnam argued that meaning is not merely a mental entity or a fixed definition held in the mind; rather, it is anchored in external reality and shaped by social practices. Because language is a social tool, the meanings of terms can shift based on the background of the speaker and the specific conversational or cultural context in which they are used. Consequently, abstract concepts such as honour and justice may carry very different implications or definitions depending on the cultural framework in which they are employed. This perspective highlights that while words are used to refer to aspects of our shared reality, the specific way those terms are understood and applied is deeply influenced by the social and historical environment of the speakers.12