This study provides an examination of the pragmatic functions of codeswitching (CS) among Maghreb Arabic (MA)–French–English trilinguals in a study abroad context. Besides broadening North African CS research from predominantly bilingual to trilingual interactions the study offers a more objective analysis by incorporating metalinguistic interviews and intercoder reliability (ICR) to reduce researcher bias. The study involves 29 highly proficient trilinguals, habitual codeswitchers with positive attitudes towards CS. The participants were studying in Hungary at the time of data collection and reported an increased exposure to and reliance on English. Data came from questionnaires, audio recordings, and metalinguistic interviews. Questionnaires ensured participants met the study's criteria, the audio-recorded data were analysed using content analysis to reveal CS functions, and interviews helped clarify these functions and support the findings. The analysis identified key pragmatic CS functions: contrast, emphasis, listing, signalling conclusion, emotional distancing, qualification, side remarks, and conventional terms. This study advances multilingualism research by offering an in-depth account of CS functions in a trilingual context, providing insights relevant to the practice of multilingual communication. However, as the data were collected in a study abroad environment, the sociolinguistic context may have influenced the CS patterns observed.

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