Every language has been influenced in some way by other languages. In many cases, this influence is reflected in words which have been absorbed from other languages as the names for newer items or ideas, such as perestroika, manga, or intifada (from Russian, Japanese, and Arabic respectively). In other cases, the influence of other languages goes deeper, and includes the addition of new sounds, grammatical forms, and idioms to the pre-existing language. For example, English's structure has been shaped in such a way by the effects of Norse, French, Latin, and Celtic--though English is not alone in its openness to these influences. Any features can potentially be transferred from one language to another if the sociolinguistic and structural circumstances allow for it. Further, new languages--pidgins, creoles, and mixed languages--can come into being as the result of language contact. In thirty-three chapters, The Oxford Handbook of Language Contact examines the various forms of contact-induced linguistic change and the levels of language which have provided instances of these influences. In addition, it provides accounts of how language contact has affected some twenty languages, spoken and signed, from all parts of the world. Chapters are written by experts and native-speakers from years of research and fieldwork. Ultimately, this Handbook provides an authoritative account of the possibilities and products of contact-induced linguistic change.
"every chapter in this volume is worthy of attention" - James K. Watters, Journal of Language, Culture, and Religion
"It deserves a place on the shelves of any serious linguistist." - George Lang, University of Ottawa, Canada
"this sizable handbook is a welcome addition ... would make excellent readings for courses in language contact and/or historical linguistics." - M. Pierce, CHOICE
"This excellent and well-organized volume is expected to serve as an orientation and source-book for research on contact-induced language change for years to come." - Natalie Operstein, LINGUIST