The relationship between spontaneous gestures of the hearing and American Sign Language

McClave, Evelyn

doi:10.1075/gest.1.1.05mcc

Article published In: Gesture
Vol. 1:1 (2001) ► pp.51–72

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The relationship between spontaneous gestures of the hearing and American Sign Language

Evelyn McClave | California State University, Northridge

Published online: 6 June 2002

https://doi.org/10.1075/gest.1.1.05mcc

This paper presents evidence of non-manual gestures in American Sign Language (ASL). The types of gestures identified are identical to non-manual, spontaneous gestures used by hearing non-signers which suggests that the gestures co-occurring with ASL signs are borrowings from hearing culture. A comparison of direct quotes in ASL with spontaneous movements of hearing non-signers suggests a history of borrowing and eventual grammaticization in ASL of features previously thought to be unique to signed languages.

The electronic edition of this article includes audio-visial data.

Keywords: American Sign Language, intensifiers, deixis, direct quotes, gesture, head movements

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