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 the perspective of intellectual history. The present-day conception that increase in language complexity is somehow a “natural” proce...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: James McElvenny
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2021-04-01
Series:Frontiers in Communication
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2021.621712/full