The terms 'brevity/brevitas' and 'prolixity/prolixitas' have played an increasing role in the evaluation of language and speech, speech, discourse and texts since antiquity (cf. Institutio oratoria by Quintilian (?35-96/100, IV, 2 : 40-41, and they have since been applied at different levels of linguistic analysis: morphology, lexicology, semantics, syntax, and especially in pragmatics, rhetoric and stylistics. Similarities with modern pragmatic approaches are obvious; Grice's conversational maxim (1975: 47) " Be brief (avoid unnecessary prolixity) " comes to mind. Fundamental parallels to this position are also clearly identifiable through the intervening centuries. The papers published in this volume are revised versions of some of the lectures given at the 30th International Colloquium of the Studienkreis Geschichte der Sprachwissenschaft (SGdS). The meeting took place at the Maison des Sciences de l'Homme of the Université Clermont Auvergne, October 10-12, 2019.