ABSTRACT
This chapter historicizes the emergence and development of the field of linguistic landscape, a sub-discipline of sociolinguistics initially conceptualized as the study of the visibility and salience of languages in public spaces. Tracing paradigm shifts and developments, the chapter shows that the field has evolved over the years, transcending the study of languages displayed and now encompassing the study of meaning-making involving the convergence of time, space and multiple semiotic resources. The chapter outlines changing methodological approaches and theoretical lenses that have informed data collection and analyses, as well as insights into the ever-growing field. The chapter ends with a discussion of multilingualism and aspects of coloniality and decoloniality in the material conditions that give meaning to urban and rural linguistic landscapes of Africa.
