The Paradox of Sign Language Morphology

Abstract

Sign languages have two strikingly different kinds of morphological structure: sequential and simultaneous. The simultaneous morphology of two unrelated sign languages, American and Israeli Sign Language, is very similar and is largely inflectional, while what little sequential morphology we have found differs significantly and is derivational. We show that at least two pervasive types of inflectional morphology, verb agreement and classifier constructions, are iconically grounded in spatiotemporal cognition, while the sequential patterns can be traced to normal historical development. We attribute the paucity of sequential morphology in sign languages to their youth. This research both brings sign languages much closer to spoken languages in their morphological structure and shows how the medium of communication contributes to the structure of languages.* Si l'on pouvait inventer une langue dont les dictions eussent leur signification naturelle, de sorte que tous les hommes entendissent la pensée des autres à la seule prononciation sans en avoir appris la signification, comme ils entendent que l'on se rejoueit lorsque l'on rit, et que l'on est triste quand on pleure, cette langue serait la meilleure de toutes les possibles; car elle ferait la mesme impression sur tous les auditeurs, que feraient les pensées de l'esprit si elles se pouvaient immédiatement communiquer entre les hommes comme entre les Anges. (Mersenne, Harmonie universelle, 1636) [If one could invent a language whose expressions had their natural signification, so that all men could understand the thought of others by pronunciation alone without having learned its signification, as they understand that one is happy when one laughs, and that one is sad when one cries, this language would be the best of all possible: for it would make the same impression on all hearers as would the thoughts of the spirit if they could be communicated immediately between men as between the angels.] [our translation] If humans could communicate by telepathy, there would be no need for a phonological component, at least for the purposes of communication; and the same extends to the use of language generally. (Noam Chomsky, The minimalist program, 1995:221)

Locative expressions in signed languages: a view from Turkish Sign Language (TİD)

“…The expression of locative relations between entities has been claimed to be similar across signed languages (Aronoff et al 2005;Emmorey 2002;Meier 2002;Talmy 2003). These claims have been attributed to the homogenizing effect of the iconic (i.e., visually motivated) properties of signed languages, in contrast to spoken languages (Aronoff et al 2005).…”

“…These claims have been attributed to the homogenizing effect of the iconic (i.e., visually motivated) properties of signed languages, in contrast to spoken languages (Aronoff et al 2005). However, these claims are based on research on a small set of signed languages and with almost no report of their frequency in use.…”

“…Given the variation in this domain in spoken languages (Bowerman 1996), such variation in sign languages seems highly plausible. Signers can create schematic correspondences between the hands in sign space and the real world locations of the entities being described on the basis of iconicity (Emmorey 1996;Aronoff et al 2005). Below we explain further how each of these features, which together comprise the canonical structure of locative expressions, is associated with iconicity principles (see also Perniss [2007] on this view).…”

Amodal Aspects of Linguistic Design

“…We chose to model the morphological structure of our materials after the structure of ASL compounds because its linear morphological organization mirrors the linear organization of syllables. It should be noted, however, that the morphological structure of ASL is of often multi-linear (or nonconcatenative) [12,13], and it can be further realized by movement and location [11,[88][89][90][91][92]. Likewise, syllable structure has been associated with changes in handshape aperture (closed ,-.…”

Doubling as a Sign of Morphology: A Typological Perspective

“…On the other hand, some SLs, ASL and Israeli Sign Language (ISL), also have simple affixal morphology (for more detailed discussion on this matter, cf. Aronoff et al 2005). Nouns are divided into two classes: the signs of the first class are anchored in a location on the body of the signer, while the nouns of the second class are in the so-called neuter space.…”