The author defines the basic principles of his new theory of languages in contact which is the basis of the project »The English Element in European Languages.« Contact between English and several European languages is analysed aiming at compiling dictionaries of anglicisms in European languages. The theory is based on an innovative principle distinguishing primary and secondary adaptation. Analysis is carried out on four levels. The orthography of an anglicism is formed according to: (a) the orthography of the model, (b) the pronunciation of the model, (c) both the orthography and the pronunciation of the model, (d) the influence of the intermediary language. Adaptation on the phonological and morphological levels follows the forms of subs...