Language Contact in Japan: A Socio-Linguistic History (Oxford Studies in Language Contact)

If the Japanese are exclusive, why are they now borrowing so many linguistic characteristics from English for their own language? Is there a way to understand language contact that is valid across time and space? By examining the 2000-year-old history of how Japan has been influenced by other language groups, Loveday offers general insights into the social causes and patterns of language contact, as well as the nature of linguistic change.