The History of Linguistics Matters: Linguistic Relativity and Integral Linguistics

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Abstract

By studying the history of a discipline, scholars often discover theories that can be adapted for contemporary linguistics. A notable example is linguistic relativity. It was made popular by Benjamin Lee Whorf in the early to mid 20th century before being dismissed by generative grammarians. This paper will explore the renewal of linguistic relativity starting in the late 20th century, its resurgence with the emergence of interdisciplinary research, and its growth in the current neo-Whorfianism. The response today to linguistic relativity demonstrates that relevant concepts will always have a place in contemporary scholarship.