The New Cambridge History of the English Language is aimed at providing a contemporary and comprehensive overiew of English, tracing its roots in Germanic and investigating the contact scenarios in which the language has been an active participant. It dis

The New Cambridge History of the English Language is aimed at providing a contemporary and comprehensive overiew of English, tracing its roots in Germanic and investigating the contact scenarios in which the language has been an active participant. It dis

The colonial period, roughly between 1600 and 1900, saw an unprecedented movement of speakers of English to locations overseas. The reasons for this movement vary considerably, from deportation of prisoners and political opponents to voluntary emigration by groups with economic motives, sometimes mixed with religious ones. The rise of first language overseas varieties depends heavily on the founder generation and the sociolinguistic scenarios they found themselves in. In addition, many countries have second language varieties which in general have arisen through an English-oriented educational system and, previously, through contact in colonies with English speakers.

Overseas varieties of English emerged during the colonial period (c. 1600-1900) with features arising which stem partly from dialect input of the early settlers and partly from contact among dialect speakers and with indigenous groups along with some features which represent independent developments in new varieties. The external settings at the overseas locations also played a key role here. There are basic distinctions, such as that between settler and non-settler varieties which, despite certain caveats, still retain their validity in the field of variety studies. The internal developments in forms of English at overseas locations reveal patterns which allow of certain generalisations which help to recognise the developmental trajectories in the past and current pathways of change. Furthermore, new sources for the study of vernacular varieties have become available and yield new insights into variety formation during the colonial period.

The colonial period, roughly between 1600 and 1900, saw an unprecedented movement of speakers of English to locations overseas. The reasons for this movement vary considerably, from deportation of prisoners and political opponents to voluntary emigration by groups with economic motives, sometimes mixed with religious ones. The rise of first-language overseas varieties depends heavily on the founder generation and the sociolinguistic scenarios they found themselves in. In addition, many countries have second-language varieties which in general have arisen through an English-oriented educational system and, previously, through contact in colonies with English speakers.