In contrast to the amount of research that has been performed on linguistic
convergence in language contact, this paper focuses on the possibility of linguistic
systems remaining stable, or even diverging, in language contact settings. It
carves out multiple relevant mechanisms and factors that influence linguistic
stability and divergence (e.g. degree and type of multilingual competence, sociolinguistic,
socio-economic and socio-political factors, cognitive mechanisms,
etc.) and gives an account of contact situations where structural divergence and
stability can be observed. Based on these examples, we suggest a classification of
divergence and stability that builds on the assumption that these developments
may take place either due to, or despite, language contact.
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