Multilingualism is a fact of our past, our present and our future. However, it has often been underrepresented or silenced in historical narratives. Although it has been a global norm throughout human history, the mechanisms that underpin multilingualism are still only partially understood.

The EU-funded MULTILING-HIST project will produce a more complete explanation of how local multilingualism emerges and is maintained, why it erodes, and how it can re-emerge. Integrating historical and contemporary data, the team will explore multilingual hotspots from Central-Eastern Europe, Mesoamerica, South Africa and the Archipelago of Vanuatu. By combining historical and present data, qualitative and quantitative methods, mathematical modelling and GIS mapping, MULTILING-HIST will deliver informed predictions to improve existing language policies and educational strategies.