Specialised registers of English in contact situations

Abstract This special collection of the Journal of Historical Sociolinguistics aims to contribute to our understanding of specialised registers of English in situations of language contact through a series of case studies, each of which focuses on a specific register in its unique historical, geographical, and sociolinguistic context. The contributing authors of this volume reflect on the definitions and scope of specialised registers of English by considering how they have been used within and beyond the British Isles in dense multilingual and multicultural contexts. These case studies of distinct specialised registers and their unique sociolinguistic and multicultural ecologies offer insights into the rich history and diversity of the English language beyond the standardised or privileged varieties that often dominate historical perspectives.