Fieldwork has been so much a part of linguistic research – a linguistic given, so to speak – that we have rarely bothered to define it. The most immediate image is that of a linguist packing up materials, equipment, and non-linguistic paraphernalia to embark on a journey to a remote field site where the planned linguistic investigation will be executed. In the ideal case, the researcher develops a relationship with the language, culture, and people that cannot be duplicated in any other setting. The experience often includes acquiring some proficiency in the language, or at least knowledge of how it is used in actual practice. One will attempt to assemble a lexicon, establish the phonetic and phonological properties, and analyze the grammar and discourse functions by means of elicitation, observation, and, possibly, participation. The field notes and tapes which result from these activities will guide future write-ups, perhaps a monograph and/or articles which describe what has been learned in the field. Originally identified with anthropology, such an array of activities has, until recently, served as the prototypical definition of linguistic fieldwork.