Mário Pinharanda-Nunes, Hugo C. Cardoso

In the time spanning from Himmelmann’s (1998) seminal article, the practice of language documentation has understandably developed a discernible focus on endangered, minority, and lesser described languages. As a result of the realization of the global pervasiveness of language endangerment, these associated endeavours have significantly expanded their vitality and visibility in recent years. However, contact languages have been to some extent absent from discourses on language endangerment, but also from institutional initiatives to counter the situation. In practice, contact languages have also been and continue to be the object of language documentation, description, and revitalization efforts, as demonstrated in this special volume with concrete reference to the regions of South, Southeast, and East Asia.