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      Handshape complexity as a precursor to phonology: Variation, emergence, and acquisition

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      Language Acquisition
      Informa UK Limited

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          Abstract

          In this paper two dimensions of handshape complexity are analyzed as potential building blocks of phonological contrast— joint complexity and finger group complexity . We ask whether sign language patterns are elaborations of those seen in the gestures produced by hearing people without speech (pantomime) or a more radical re-organization of them. Data from adults and children are analyzed to address issues of cross-linguistic variation, emergence, and acquisition. Study 1 addresses these issues in adult signers and gesturers from the United States, Italy, China, and Nicaragua. Study 2 addresses these issues in child and adult groups (signers and gesturers) from the United States, Italy, and Nicaragua. We argue that handshape undergoes a fairly radical reorganization, including loss and reorganization of iconicity and feature redistribution, as phonologization takes place in both of these dimensions. Moreover, while the patterns investigated here are not evidence of duality of patterning, we conclude that they are indeed phonological, and that they appear earlier than related morphosyntactic patterns that use the same types of handshape.

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          Most cited references21

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          Gesture: Visible Action as Utterance

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            Comparing action gestures and classifier verbs of motion: evidence from Australian Sign Language, Taiwan Sign Language, and nonsigners' gestures without speech.

            Recent research into signed languages indicates that signs may share some properties with gesture, especially in the use of space in classifier constructions. A prediction of this proposal is that there will be similarities in the representation of motion events by sign-naive gesturers and by native signers of unrelated signed languages. This prediction is tested for deaf native signers of Australian Sign Language (Auslan), deaf signers of Taiwan Sign Language (TSL), and hearing nonsigners using the Verbs of Motion Production task from the Test Battery for American Sign Language (ASL) Morphology and Syntax. Results indicate that differences between the responses of nonsigners, Auslan signers, and TSL signers and the expected ASL responses are greatest with handshape units; movement and location units appear to be very similar. Although not definitive, these data are consistent with the claim that classifier constructions are blends of linguistic and gestural elements.
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              The Spreading Hand Autosegment of American Sign Language

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                Author and article information

                Journal
                Language Acquisition
                Language Acquisition
                Informa UK Limited
                1048-9223
                1532-7817
                May 24 2016
                May 24 2016
                : 24
                : 4
                : 283-306
                Article
                10.1080/10489223.2016.1187614
                7540628
                33033424
                7db45ed6-996c-498d-a800-c7b64922aaac
                © 2016
                History

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