The Handbook of Language Contact

The Handbook of Language Contact offers systematic coverageof the major issues in this field ranging from the value ofcontact explanations in linguistics, to the impact of immigration,to dialectology combining new research from a team ofglobally renowned scholars, with case studies of numerouslanguages. * An authoritative reference work exploring the major issues inthe field of language contact: the study of how language changeswhen speakers of distinct speech varieties interact * Brings together 40 specially-commissioned essays by aninternational team of scholars * Examines language contact in societies which have significantimmigration populations, and includes a fascinating cross-sectionof case studies drawing on languages across the world * Accessibly structured into sections exploring the place ofcontact studies within linguistics as a whole; the value of contactstudies for research into language change; and language contact inthe context of work on language and society * Explores a broad range of topics, making it an excellentresource for both faculty and students across a variety of fieldswithin linguistics