Developing a database for dialectometric studies: The ALGa phonetic data. Dialectometrical analysis of 230 working maps

Abstract

In this article, I will present the problems of elaborating a phonetic database for a dialectometrical study. I will show how (1) the abstractness which is necessary to create the database conditions the interpretation of the results, (2) the difficulties of classifying the data as phonetic, morphological or lexical from a synchronic point of view, (3) the problems created by variation inside the same locality, a lack of data in some points and a situation of language contact (in this case, Galician and Spanish). Finally, I will present a dialectometrical study of the Galician dialects, made from the elaborated phonetic database. In this regard, I will present and comment on ten maps that allow us to show the inner structure of the phonetic data of Galician.