Editing Language convergence (section)

== Mechanisms ==

Language convergence occurs primarily through diffusion, the spread of a feature from one language to another.<ref name=":0" /> The causes of language convergence are highly dependent on the specifics of the contact between the languages involved. Often, convergence is motivated by bilingual [[code-switching]] or code-alternation.<ref name=":1" /> Seeking full expressive capacity in both languages, bilingual speakers identify preexisting parallels between languages and use these structures to express similar meanings, eventually leading to convergence or increasing the frequency of the similar patterns.<ref name=":2" /> [[Sociolinguistics|Sociolinguistic]] factors may also influence the effects of language convergence, as ethnic boundaries can function as barriers to language convergence. Ethnic boundaries may help to explain areas in which linguists’ predictions about language convergence do not align with reality, such as areas with high inter-ethnic contact but low levels of convergence.<ref name=":2" />