Stability and Divergence in Language Contact

“Among the linguistic studies of contact-induced variation/change this book occupies an exceptional position. Whereas research on contact between languages and intralingual varieties traditionally focuses on convergence as a kind of natural effect of language contact and/or claims that stability is only possible when there is/was no contact at all, this book demonstrates that (1) language contact may go together with structural stability and (2) language contact may even initiate or reinforce diverging structural developments. It gives an insight into the factors and mechanisms which may trigger stability or divergence, including both sociolinguistic and structural parameters of language contact situations.”

“Due to its innovative approach and its focus on stability and divergence in diachronic development as two under-researched phenomena, this book occupies an outstanding position in the existing literature on contact linguistics, presenting cutting-edge research on the phenomena under investigation. The authors convincingly show that both stability and divergence occur not only independently of language contact, but also as its direct outcome, taking into account both sociolinguistic and structural factors and mechanisms.”