This study examines the main theoretical contributions that have emerged from the dialectological field around the concept of Atlantic Spanish. First, the validity of a traditional discipline, such as dialectology, is discussed in the frame of modern linguistics and in relation to other complementary disciplines, for example, sociolinguistics and geolinguistics. The central section of the article aims to cover the genesis of the principle of Atlantic Spanish, considers its persistence across time and tries to characterize the Spanish dialectal system. Finally, the paper includes the most significant conclusions arising from this theoretical review
