The Spanish of Rural Panama: Major Dialectal Features

This rather extensive monograph by the young California Hispanist is another important link in the growing documentation of the Spanish-American linguistic scene. Robe’s observations have been based on a residence of some three years (1943-1946), and on a very conscientious study of the traits of Panamanian Spanish, especially that of the rural center. His method is that of the structuralists: he identifies the phonemes of the dialect with their corresponding allophones, pointing out oppositions and both free and complementary distribution. His treatment of the morphology is more traditional and actually includes much syntax and semantics. In the chapter on historical background, one might wish that the author had brought his perspective more up to date through more reference to the works of Rafael Lapesa, Amado Alonso, and Peter Boyd-Bowman. However, one of the important aspects of this book for future efforts is its fidelity to the molds of contemporary linguistics.