This thinker created a linguistic measure of complexity "beyond communication necessity" in a paper arguing that, since creoles originated as pidgins stripped of most linguistic features, they have the world's simplest grammars.
This thinker cited a study by Jonathan Winawer et al about Russian speakers' perception of blue in a book this author called a "manifesto" that aims to rebut "popular Whorfianism." This thinker created a linguistic measure of complexity "beyond communication necessity" in a paper arguing that, since creoles originated as pidgins stripped of most linguistic features, they have the world's simplest grammars. This thinker identified a number of "kinks" in English grammar in a short book for a public audience titled Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue. Ventures by this author of (*) The Power of Babel into political commentary include a book criticizing separatism in the African-American community, Losing the Race; at the intersection of politics and his work, he argued on NPR that "thug" had become code for the N word and recently published Talking Back, Talking Black. For 10 points, name this Columbia linguist and political commentator.
This thinker cited a study by Jonathan Winawer et al about Russian speakers' perception of blue in a book this author called a "manifesto" that aims to rebut "popular Whorfianism.
John McWhorter