Language as a trace

Abstract This chapter introduces forensic linguistics as a specialised field of applied linguistics. It addresses the challenges and particular issues that linguistics faces when applied to language as evidence. The focus is on the linguistic trace, its characteristics, and the different conceptions of the idiolect. How these align with or contradict forensic principles is explored from an epistemological and linguistic perspective. Other aspects, such as the appropriate theoretical framework and the role of the expert witness, are also discussed as they influence the acceptance of forensic linguistic work. The chapter advocates for a more differentiated view of forensic linguistics, not only as an applied, but also as a forensic science.