Language contact - the linguistic and social outcomes of two or more languages coming into contact with each other - has been pervasive in human history. Whether or not we are aware of it, we as humans always deal with language contact. Bringing together contributions from an international team of scholars, this two-volume Handbook represents the state-of-the-art in the field of language contact. The first volume focuses on population movement and language change, and the second volume looks at multilingualism and population structure. Each of the two volumes start with an introduction outlining the history of the research in the field. They are then organised into thematic parts, and cover the processes, theoretical issues and outcomes involved in a range of language contact situations worldwide. Easy-to-read yet wide-ranging in scope, the Handbook is essential reading for anybody interested in how people behave linguistically in multilingual or multilectal settings.

Language contact - the linguistic and social outcomes of two or more languages coming into contact with each other - starts with the emergence of multilingual populations. Multilingualism involving plurilingualism can have various consequences beyond borrowing, interference, and code-mixing and -switching, including the emergence of lingua francas and new language varieties, as well as language endangerment and loss. Bringing together contributions from an international team of scholars, this Handbook - the second in a two-volume set - engages the reader with the manifold aspects of multilingualism and provides state-of-the-art research on the impact of population structure on language contact. It begins with an introduction that presents the history of the scholarship on the subject matter. The chapters then cover various processes and theoretical issues associated with multilingualism embedded in specific population structures worldwide as well as their outcomes. It is essential reading for anybody interested in how people behave linguistically in multilingual or multilectal settings.

Language contact - the linguistic and social outcomes of two or more languages coming into contact with each other - has been pervasive in human history. However, where histories of language contact are comparable, experiences of migrant populations have been only similar, not identical. Given this, how does language contact work? With contributions from an international team of scholars, this Handbook - the first in a two-volume set - delves into this question from multiple perspectives and provides state-of-the-art research on population movement and language contact and change. It begins with an overview of how language contact as a research area has evolved since the late 19th century. The chapters then cover various processes and theoretical issues associated with population movement and language contact worldwide. It is essential reading for anybody interested in the dynamics of social interactions in diverse contact settings and how the changing ecologies influence the linguistic outcomes.