  SN 2011fe was the nearest and best-observed type Ia supernova in a
generation, and brought previous incomplete datasets into sharp contrast with
the detailed new data. In retrospect, documenting spectroscopic behaviors of
type Ia supernovae has been more often limited by sparse and incomplete
temporal sampling than by consequences of signal-to-noise ratios, telluric
features, or small sample sizes. As a result, type Ia supernovae have been
primarily studied insofar as parameters discretized by relative epochs and
incomplete temporal snapshots near maximum light. Here we discuss a necessary
next step toward consistently modeling and directly measuring spectroscopic
observables of type Ia supernova spectra. In addition, we analyze current
spectroscopic data in the parameter space defined by empirical metrics, which
will be relevant even after progenitors are observed and detailed models are
refined.
