Statistical analysis of dialectal boundaries

Abstract

A DIALECT is not an entity which is easy to define precisely, since usually one does not observe sharp geographical or social boundaries in a language continuum. However, the concept of a dialect is widely accepted in everyday usage and among linguists. The study of the dialects of the major European languages, in both their medieval and modern forms, has for many years engaged the attention of linguists interested in the development and diversification of language systems. An account of the traditional methods of dialectology can be found in Pop's La dialectologie (1950). There is a recent account of the English dialects by Martyn Wakelin (1972), and Pierre Guiraud has written a short introduction to French dialectology (1968). For more detailed references, including work on other languages, the reader is advised to consult specialist bibliographies such as the annual Bibliographie linguistique. The usual modern method of investigation in dialectology involves the preparation of detailed questionnaires which are used in interviewing dialect speakers in order to obtain examples of their characteristic vocabulary, syntax, and pronunciation. The Survey of English Dialects undertaken by the University of Leeds (SED; 1962) is an example of such an investigation. The information from the questionnaires can be published either in tabulated form or as a dialect atlas in which the