sciences). Although contact and variationist linguistics are closely related to other scientific areas, they clearly addresstheirown different linguistic aspects and employ distinct methods.Contact linguistics investigates the use of languages,w hich-like their speakers-are socially in contact with each other. This disciplinei se xplored through different stages-varying according to phenomena, area, and periodof the language contact process, including its inception,evolution, and results. At the same time, it considers the intralinguistic and extralinguisticparameters and control factors that determine the level of intensity of interactionand, therefore, of potential influence. Language contact occurs in alarge number of phenomena, including:l anguage convergence, borrowing, relexification, hybrid structures development, adoption, as well as degradation, and leveling of morphological and grammatical features, code-switching,stratal influence, and language shift. It can lead to the emergence of new varieties (such as pidgins, creoles,m ixedlanguage varieties,interdialects-especially so-called language 'island' varieties' or linguistic 'enclaves',minority languages, ethnolects, guest workers' varieties, xenolects) or even fully-developed languages. Not least of all, aw ide range of interestsi nl anguage contact studies includes ('external')m ultilingualism-be that in the context of language border areas, non-monolingual communities, migration,orthe workplace (cf.