Potential Applications of GIS for Linguistic Data

The aim of this chapter is to briefly outline potential applications of GIS for linguistic data.As a computer database, GIS not only offers an efficient means for managing large amounts of complex spatial data but also provides a variety of tools for analysing and visualizing spatial patterns and relationships.Linguistic geography, or geolinguistics, is an interdisciplinary field that recognizes the importance of spatial patterns and geographic relationships as drivers of change and the diversity of language.The chapter provides an overview of case studies where linguistic data were used in a geospatial context.Two case studies are characterised as dialectometric studies with the aim to measure variation in dialects in relation to geography and geographic distance.The third case study examines the role of physical environmental features on linguistic variation of toponyms.Following this overview of case studies, the chapter introduces the Fijian Language GIS Project, which is an interdisciplinary effort with goals to: i) develop a GIS database of Fijian communalects, ii) use the database to conduct scholarly research on linguistic variations in Fiji from a spatial perspective, and iii) produced information suitable for dissemination to the public through museums and other venues.The chapter provides a brief description of the GIS database of Fijian communalects and how it was created followed by an overview of a dialectometric analysis of the data for a pilot study area on the island of Kadavu.The chapter concludes by discussing some of the opportunities and challenges the project faces.These include the production of a rich database of Fijian communalects that will be of interest to scholars and lay persons alike, but with challenges associated with efficiently disseminating and meaningfully analysing a rather large and complex database. BackgroundBoth cultural geographers and linguists recognize the value of mapping linguistic information.While cultural geographers tend to focus on the spatial differentiation of language as an artefact of the cultural landscape (Jordan 2014), linguists tend to be more interested in the evolution of language and the complexities of language variation (Haynie 2014).Linguistic geography, or geolinguistics, is an interdisciplinary field that recognizes the importance of spatial patterns and geographic relationships as drivers of change leading to the structural