The Role of Abstraction in Spanish Phonology: A Laboratory Perspective

This viewpoint offers an opinion on the role of abstraction in phonology from a Laboratory Approaches perspective. The paper begins with a definition of abstraction and then provides examples of how a Laboratory Approach can clarify and contribute to our understanding of proposed abstract categories. Claims and findings on Dominican Spanish rhotics and current topics in Spanish intonation (pitch accents and boundary tones) are reviewed to illustrate the value of quantitative data. The value and importance of increased empirical data in phonological analysis is argued, regardless of theoretical bent, to better understand sound systems.