Language Contact

Since the inception of modern contact linguistics through the works of Weinreich (1953) and Haugen (1953), numerous investigators have studied the manifestations of language contact across different disciplines, naturally adopting varied perspectives and approaches relevant to their particular field of inquiry. In spite of the many approaches and interests, quite simply, when speakers of different languages interact closely, it is typical for their languages to influence each other. The influence could be as common as the exchange of words or what is termed vocabulary borrowing in the literature. It can also go deeper, extending to the exchange of even basic characteristics of a language, such as morphology and grammar. In some cases, the result of the contact of two languages can be the replacement of one by the other. This is most common in asymmetric relationships between languages, and sometimes leads to language shift and death. The present volume is unique in that it brings together research by distinguished scholars and other highly talented investigators from across the world to offer a multidimensional exploration of the field. The individual chapters present contemporary discussions and analyses of the topics, grouped into three parts.