| Research Abstract |
The head investigator developed the first data-processing system for linguistic geography using a personal computer (named SEAL) in 1983. The original system was improved to accommodate the progress of the hardware and software, resulting in version 4.3 for MS-DOS in 1995, version 5.0 for Windows 95 in 1998. As a result, the DOS/V user can use SEAL, it is easy to link the data with the other software, and we can make fine, colored maps and process data more sophisticatedly. In the present research, the improvement of the SEAL system was continued, and the method was applied to Japanese geolinguistic data.
1. Improvement of the SEAL system
The SEAL system was improved based on the needs of the head researcher herself and SEAL users' requests. The program was opened to the public and prepared for download in the head researcher's Web page, http : //www.nicol.ac.jp/〜fukusima/. This resulted in the increasement of the SEAL users and enabled them to send their requests and questions. Now the SEAL system is used not only by Japanese dialectologists but also by Chinese and Spanish dialectologists and geographers. During the three years, the system was improved as version 5.1, 5.2, 5.5, 5.6, and finally 6.0. In version 6.0, SEAL the English version, which can work on English version Windows, was added.
2. Geolinguistic researches using the SEAL systeem
The geolinguistic data in Tokunoshima, Amami were analysed. A follow-up survey was conducted especially about the personal pronouns in Tokunoshima. The results were reported in the 10th International Congress of Methods in Dialectology, St. John's, NH, Canada (summer 1999) and the 3rd International Congress of Dialectologists and Geolinguists, Lublin, Poland (summer 2000) and published for journals.
3. Others : A report entitled as Linguistic geography using a personal computer : its methods and applications was published.
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