Language Complexity in Historical Perspective: The Enduring Tropes of Natural Growth and Abnormal Contact

Focusing on the work of John McWhorter and, to a lesser extent, Peter Trudgill, this paper critically examines some common themes in language complexity research from perspective intellectual history. The present-day conception that increase is somehow “natural” process which disturbed under “abnormal” circumstances contact shown be recapitulation essentially Romantic ideas go back beginnings disciplinary linguistics. A similar genealogy demonstrated for related notion grammatical kind “ornament” language, surplus needs “basic communication.” closes by examining implications these linguistic scholarship.