The papers in this collection throw fresh light on the relation between language contact and contrastive linguistics. The book focuses equally on the mutual influence of linguistic systems in contact and on the language contrasts that govern the linguistic behaviour of the bilingual speaker.

The first practical study of its kind, Lexical Conflict presents a taxonomy of cross-linguistic lexical differences, with thorough discussion of zero equivalence, multiple equivalence and partial equivalence across languages. Illustrated with numerous examples taken from over one hundred world languages, this work is an exhaustive exploration of cross-linguistic and cross-cultural differences, presenting guidelines and solutions for the lexicographic treatment of these differences. The text combines theoretical and applied linguistic perspectives to create an essential guide for students, researchers and practitioners in linguistics, anthropology, cross-cultural psychology, translation, interpretation and international marketing.

Contrastive Linguistics, roughly defined as a subdiscipline of linguistics which is concerned with the comparison of two or more (subsystems of) languages, has long been associated primarily with language teaching. Apart from this applied aspect, however, it also has a strong theoretical purpose, contributing to our understanding of language typology and language universals. Issues in theoretical CL, which also feature in this volume, are the choice of model, the notions of equivalence and contrast, and directionality of descriptions. Languages used for illustration in this volume include English, German, Danish, and Polish.