Linguistic complexity and theories of language in diachrony

Linguistic theories have approached change in linguistic complexity from different perspectives. Some studies have proposed, for instance, that complexity should be measured in absolute, language-internal terms, while other studies have favored a definition of complexity that is based on evidence provided by language-external parameters, such as frequency and processing difficulty. We propose a solution to this puzzle by introducing two distinct types of complexity: structural and dynamic complexity. We test our hypothesis on three semi-modal constructions of present-day English that are currently in the process of grammaticalization: be going to, have got to and want to. We argue that linguistic theory has generally ignored the interrelation of the two types of complexity and has referred to either the former or the latter type of complexity depending on the scope and the focus of each approach.
{"references":["Symeonidis, Vassilis & Nikolaos Lavidas. 2023. Linguistic complexity and theories of language in diachrony. Simplicité et complexité des langues dans l'histoire des théories linguistiques, dir. par Chloé Laplantine, John E. Joseph & Émilie Aussant. Paris : SHESL (HEL Livres, 3). 451-478."]}