Linguistic Documentation and Basque dialectology in the 19th century: the work of L-L. Bonaparte

Abstract

This paper examines the figure of Louis-Lucien Bonaparte (1813-1891), a linguist and pioneer of Basque and European dialectological studies. After two decades of research, he presented in 1870 the first non-impressionist classification of the dialects of the Basque language. This early dialectal classification was founded on a series of linguistic features and theoretical-methodological criteria, preceding the studies on dialectology by renowned linguists like Ascoli and Wenker. The paper delves into the life and work of Bonaparte, his methods for data collection and dialectal classification, his network of collaborators, and the reception of his work, and it contextualizes his contributions as a pioneer in Basque and European dialectological studies.