Publisher's Synopsis
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.
