Conclusion

Abstract

The conclusion brings together the arguments made in the book’s four central chapters, in order to show the unique contribution the book makes. As the first full-length book on the topic, it opens up a number of questions for future research, and the conclusion points towards rich areas of work which can build on the findings of the book and further enrich our understanding of a multilingual English history. It asks how the polyglot perspective might enrich and challenge areas of English history in this period: given the pervasiveness of multilingualism in the urban, diplomatic, religious, and mercantile spheres—and considering the existence of many individuals whose multilingualism left little written record—how can we write a history of this transformative period that is alive to the polyglot forces that shaped both England and English?