Areal-Typological Study Using GIS-based Maps of the World's Language Structures

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We have developed a computerized version of maps by GIS (Geographical Information System), showing the areal distributions of linguistic features of the world's languages. This version enables us to make both macroscopic and microscopic examinations of the geographical distributions of linguistic features efficiently. In this study, we have made the system of the maps more reliable and could incorporate most of Yamamoto's data on word order of the world's languages by matching the language names on the GIS maps against those in the Yamamoto's data more accurately. We have made a lot of maps incorporating the Yamamoto's data and could demonstrate that these maps actually reflect the distributions argued by Yamamoto.