37.2507, FYI: Call for Contributions to an Edited Volume "The Linguistics of Forced Displacement in Africa"

[The LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List: Vol-37-2507. Tue Jul 28 2026. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 37.2507, FYI: Call for Contributions to an Edited Volume "The Linguistics of Forced Displacement in Africa"

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Date: 28-Jul-2026
From: Pius Akumbu [pius.akumbu at cnrs.fr]
Subject: Call for Contributions to an Edited Volume "The Linguistics of Forced Displacement in Africa"


About the Volume
We invite contributions to a planned edited volume on language and
involuntary displacement in Africa. The volume examines how
displacement – particularly the involuntary or constrained uprooting
of individuals and communities as a result of conflict, violence,
political persecution, environmental crises, or other adverse
circumstances beyond their control – shapes language use, multilingual
practices, and linguistic outcomes in African contexts. While
voluntary migration is an important phenomenon, it is not the focus of
this volume.
The volume centers on the linguistics of displacement: how
displacement affects the multilingual repertoires and language
practices of displaced people and communities, including processes of
language contact, shift, and maintenance. Although displacement is an
increasingly important global concern, its specifically linguistic
consequences remain comparatively underexamined. This volume aims to
help consolidate this area of research.
The volume focuses on displacement within Africa, encompassing both
internal displacement and cross-border displacement on the continent,
rather than on African diaspora communities in the Global North. We
particularly welcome contributions from scholars based in Africa.
The editors are currently in discussions with a prospective publisher.
Further details are available on request.
Themes and Scope
The core thematic question driving the volume is: what happens to
languages and language use when displacement occurs? We are
particularly interested in contributions that address:
- How displacement reshapes the multilingual repertoires and language
practices of affected communities;
- Acquisition and use of new languages, and bilingual and multilingual
practices, under conditions of displacement;
- Language shift, attrition, maintenance, resilience, vitality, and
revitalization under conditions of displacement;
- Language, social relations, and identity in displaced communities;
- Language contact outcomes in displacement contexts, including
code-switching, borrowing, and contact-induced grammatical change;
- Language policy, education, and planning relating to displaced
populations within Africa;
- Documentation of changing language practices within displaced
language communities;
- Historical and comparative perspectives on language and displacement
across African contexts.
We welcome contributions unified by a clear focus on the linguistic
effects of displacement, rather than work primarily concerned with
research methodology or language documentation that happens to involve
displaced or diasporic speakers.
We also welcome contributions addressing methodological, ethical, and
theoretical dimensions of research on language and displacement,
provided that these are grounded in and contribute directly to the
linguistic study of displacement.
Interdisciplinary approaches drawing on linguistics, anthropology,
sociology, geography, history, and related fields are welcome.
The volume is expected to include approximately ten chapters. If
submissions exceed this capacity, selection will necessarily be
competitive.
Submission Guidelines
We invite researchers to submit an abstract in English of
approximately one page, with references on a separate page.
Please include the tentative chapter title, author name(s),
institutional affiliation(s), and contact email address(es).
Abstracts should be submitted by email to
displacedlanguages at gmail.com. Co-authored chapters are welcome.
Volume editors: Evgeniya Gutova, Pius Akumbu, and Jeff Good.
Timeline
- Abstract and tentative title due: 15 September 2026
- Notification of decisions (tentative): 31 October 2026
- Full chapter of 8,000–10,000 words due: 15 February 2027
- Anticipated publication: 2028
Please send all correspondence to: displacedlanguages at gmail.com.

Linguistic Field(s): Anthropological Linguistics
                     Historical Linguistics
                     Sociolinguistics




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