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Summary Sign Language Linguistics 318 Exam Notes
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Sign Language Linguistics 318 Exam Notes, covers: Sociolinguistics, Morphology, Phonology & Syntax
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Made by Daryan Van Der WathSign language linguistics 378
Sociolinguistics
Variation in Sign Languages:
Why study variation?
1. To explore if the variants observed form one language
2. To explore the influence of the various factors on variation
3. To trace the possible historical influences on variation
4. To help provide a basis for decisions on the variant to be used in
education/dictionaries
Three types of variation:
1. Linguistic (internal) – linguistic context (ASL DEAF different in a compound)
2. Social (external) – region, age & ethnicity
3. Stylistic – formality & register
Research into variation:
• Synchronic variation: at one point in time
• Diachronic variation: across time
• Research principles:
® principle of quantitative modelling (get enough good evidence)
® principle of multiple cause (do not assume just one factor)
Previous research on synchronic variation in sign language:
• study of the ASL sign DEAF
® examining factors: linguistic context, narrative vs conversation & social
(age, region, gender, social class)
® Results – all types of variation found, age/region most important social
factors
® Relationship to diachronic variation (change)
• Study of the lexical variation between BSL, Auslan and NZSL
® Comparison of overlap on the basis of a limited vocabulary list
(Swadesh)
® Result: considerable overlap between the three SLs
® Conclusion: three varieties of the same sign language BANZL
® Explanation is the historical relationship – BSL was imported from Britain
with the education for deaf children into Australia and New Zealand
• Study of variation in BSL
® A small lexical variation
® Results: there was variation between schools even in the same area
® Conclusion: there is variation according to school, and not so much
according to region
§ The term “schoolization” was coined and “schoolect”
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Educational situation and SASL in SA:
• The first school for the deaf was established in 1863. (no information about the
period before then)
• In the period up to 1994:
® White pupils – oralism (spoken language only)
® Coloured and Black pupils – some signing allowed
® Established by Dominican Catholics (Ireland, Germany), Anglican church
(Britain) and Dutch reformed church (the Netherlands)
® Black Deaf children – Paget Gorman sign system also used
Research into variation in SASL:
• The educational situation for deaf children is complex, with possible influence
from European sign languages
• Other research has shown that the amount of lexical borrowing is maximum of
15% from any other sign language such as BSL
• Previous studies have shown that even school close to each other
geographically can vary in their lexicon (for different reasons they have little
contact
Variation across time in Sign Languages:
Diachronic change:
• All languages change across time – some periods of change can go more quickly
than others
• Change in English (large time depth)
Fæder ure thu the eart on heofonum, si thin nama gehalgod (old English 995)
Oure fadir that art in heuenes, halewid bi thi name (early middle English 1331)
Our father who art in heaven hallowed by thy name (early modern English 1526)
Our father in heaven, may your name be honored (present day English 1970)
Linguistic change at different linguistic levels in sign languages:
• Phonological change – two-handed to one-handed signs as in BSL to NZSL
• Morphological change – non-directional to directional verbs in ASL
• Syntactic change – little known
• Lexical change – LSE sign WATCH
• Pragmatic change – Use of more formal INDEX
Diachronic and synchronic change:
• Diachronic change – change over time
• Synchronic change – at a particular moment
• Change often initiated by young people
• Sociolinguistic and diachronic research often go hand in hand
• Diachronic change may be identified in synchronic variation (use of like as a
quotative marker in English used by younger people)
• To study change you need comparative data across time (this is very scarce for
sign languages)
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Origins of Sign languages:
• Sign languages develop where there are deaf communities
® For example: Nicaragua: deaf people first came together in the 1970s
with the creation of the first deaf school (previously deaf children lived in
a home sign situation) – new sign language emerged
® This has occurred in many African countries but little research
• An existing sign language can be imported as a whole into another country
® Australia/new Zealand – British sign language was imported with deaf
education (Auslan and NzSL are really varieties of BSL – BANZL)
Influences on Sign language:
• Contact with another sign language
® The Netherlands – French sign language was introduced by Guyot in the
19th century for use in deaf education and influenced NGT
• Changes in the environment leading to new lexicon
® Little historical evidence about sign languages, although use of signing
was recorded already in ancient Greece
How to study the history of SASL:
• Consider the possible influences on SASL (history of schools) – no recorded
evidence available
• Compare current SASL with possible source sign languages using the Lexico-
statistical methods used in synchronic studies
Historical influences on SASL:
• Possible influence from founding religious orders:
® Dominican Catholics (Ireland, Germany)
® Anglican church (Britain)
® Dutch reformed church (Netherlands)
Modern influences on SASL:
• Teaching materials adopted from American sign language
• Specialization dictionaries (science dictionary BSL are consulted)
• Internet: exposure to many different sign languages
Relation between potential source sign languages for SASL
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How can we determine where SASL signs have come from?
• Many signs to consider since there is considerable lexical variety in SASL
• The extent of the variety is only now being linguistically described
• SU master project on lexical borrowings
Where you find an overlap between SASL variant and a variant from a potential
source language – what does this mean? What are the possible reasons for the
overlap?
• Several reasons for the overlap:
® The sign has been directly borrowed from the source language
® The sign has been borrowed via another sign language
® The similarity is based on iconicity or classifiers
• No overlap, what does this mean?
® You may have omitted to look at all possible variants in the source
language or in SASL
How do you study change without historical evidence?
• By comparing different age groups to establish if their use of the language is
different
• All variables except age must be comparable such as school etc.
How would you set up a project to study diachronic variation?
1. Linguistic variables – phonology, syntax, lexicon
2. Sources of data (where you are collecting) – schools (cohort followed), focus on
a particular grade, different age groups, collect data from historical records
3. Methods of data collect – lists, film
Example: comparison of 2 SASL dictionary (two dictionaries Penn et al 1992 & NID
online dictionary)
Textbook summary
Much variation can be found in sign languages, just as in spoken languages. There are
standard languages but also dialects. However, it is often unclear what exactly is
meant by a sign language dialect. Variation can be found at all linguistic levels:
phonological, morphological, syntactic, and lexical variation – with variation of the
latter type being most significant in the majority of sign languages. At all levels,
variation is commonly related to social differences between the language users, such
as the region, the sign language user’s background (e.g. type of education), age,
gender, ethnic background, and social class. In addition, the topic of conversation,
the conversation partner, and the context in which the language is used may have an
influence. The hearing status of the conversation partner is of particular importance.
Signs which belong to a specific subject and a specific group of users constitute a
register.
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