French, a Cosmopolitan Language? The Multilingual Identities of 16th Century Dutch Migrants

In the wake of the Dutch Revolt, thousands of inhabitants of the sixteenth-century Low Countries left home and hearth to settle in England, Germany, or the Northern Low Countries. Many of them had some knowledge of French, and this skill was highly valued in their host countries. This article sheds light on the linguistic strategies of multiple migrants who capitalized on their multilingual identities.