This book is a comprehensive introduction to the study of language contact and its outcomes, as well as the social and linguistic factors involved.

• Provides a comprehensive introduction to the field of contact linguistics.
• Examines a wide range of language contact phenomena from both general linguistic and sociolinguistic perspectives.
• Offers an account of current approaches to all of the major types of contact-induced change.
• Discusses the general processes and principles that are at work in cases of contact.