LINGUIST List 11.2072

Fri Sep 29 2000

Qs: Data Archival, Fonts/Dialectological Maps

Editor for this issue: Karen Milligan <karenlinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. Neal Audenaert, Data Archival and Retrieval
2. Rand Valentine, Fonts for Dialectological Maps

I am working at to develop a software architecture to 
support the archival and analysis of primary and secondary 
linguistic data. This is intended to be a distributed 
system that would allow linguists to access multiple data 
repositories through a single client machine. The system is 
primarily intended for the support of data gathered from 
field research but has many potential applications. I have 
been having a hard time finding information in my literature 
search and was wondering if anyone knew of other similar 
projects that are being conducted or papers written on the 
subject? I am familiar with the University of Pennsylvania
project Linguistic Exploration, but so far that has been the
only one that I have seen of potential interest.

I will summarize for the list.

Thanks

Neal Audenaert
Texas A&M University
neal_audenaertacm.org

 Can anyone point me to fonts designed to display dialectological variants
and sub-variants on maps? Such fonts might include different basic shapes
(such as circles, triangles, boxes) for displaying major variants, as well
as systematic modifications to the basic shapes (say 4 circles varying in
the position of a small bar), for displaying the sub-variants of a major
variant. Here's an example of what I mean. In Ojibwe, there are two main
lexical variants for 'man,' one which is anini, inini, and ininii, and one
which is naabe. I would like to have a font that would allow me to display
on a map say a triangle for all of the sites having naabe, but a circle
(with three sub-variant modifications) for anini, inini, and ininii. This
would seem such a very useful resource for dialectologists, I'd be surprised
if such fonts weren't available somewhere. Preferably Mac, but Windows too.
Thank you.

R Valentine