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In:The Linguistics of Sign Languages: An introduction
Edited by Anne E. Baker, Beppie van den Bogaerde, Roland Pfau and Trude Schermer
[Not in series 199] 2016
► pp. v–xii

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Published online: 23 June 2016
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https://doi.org/10.1075/z.199.toc

Table of contents

Foreword XIII
chapter 1Sign languages as natural languages 1
Anne Baker
1.1Introduction 1
1.2Language in space 2
1.3Deaf communities 5
1.4The relationship between signed and spoken languages 7
1.5Sign languages and linguistic universals 11
1.6Differences between sign languages 12
1.7Transcribing sign languages 15
1.8The history of sign linguistics 18
1.9The content of this book 20
Summary 22
Test yourself 23
Assignments 23
References and further reading 24
chapter 2Psycholinguistics 25
Trude Schermer
Roland Pfau
2.1Introduction 25
2.2Language and the brain 26
2.2.1Aphasia in deaf signers 27
2.2.2The effect of modality on the brain 30
2.3Language comprehension 32
2.3.1Identifying the signal 33
2.3.2Storage and processing of signs 35
2.3.3The role of iconicity in processing signs 37
2.3.4Spatial versus linguistic information 39
2.4Language production 39
2.4.1The tip-of-the-fingers phenomenon 40
2.4.2Grammatical encoding: word level 41
2.4.3Phonological encoding 43
2.4.4Articulation 46
Summary 47
Test yourself 48
Assignments 48
References and further reading 49
chapter 3Acquisition 51
Anne Baker
Beppie van den Bogaerde
Sonja Jansma
3.1Introduction 51
3.2How do children learn a sign language? 52
3.3The path of sign language development 54
3.3.1The pre-linguistic stage 54
3.3.2The one- and two-word stages 56
3.3.3The differentiation stage 59
3.3.4Reaching the adult level 62
3.4Second language acquisition 62
3.5Bilingual development 64
3.5.1Deaf children of deaf parents 65
3.5.2Hearing children of deaf parents 66
3.5.3Deaf children of hearing parents 66
3.5.4Children with a cochlear implant (CI) 67
Summary 49
Test yourself 70
Assignments 70
References and further reading 71
chapter 4Interaction and discourse 73
Anne Baker
Beppie van den Bogaerde
4.1Introduction 73
4.2Cooperating in conversations 73
4.3Turn-taking 76
4.4Coherence 78
4.5Speech acts 79
4.6Structuring the discourse 81
4.6.1The use of articles and pronouns 81
4.6.2Information structure 82
4.6.3Role shift 86
4.7Pragmatic adequacy 87
4.7.1Whispering and shouting 88
4.7.2Influence of the hearing status of the conversation partner 88
Summary 89
Test yourself 89
Assignments 90
References and further reading 90
chapter 5Constituents and word classes 93
Anne Baker
Roland Pfau
5.1Introduction 93
5.2Constituents 93
5.3The structure of phrases 97
5.4Lexical signs 100
5.4.1Nouns and verbs 100
5.4.2Adjectives and adverbs 102
5.5Function signs 104
5.5.1The pointing sign index 105
5.5.2Adpositions 106
5.5.3Conjunctions 109
5.5.4Particles 109
5.5.5Particles 109
Summary 113
Test yourself 114
Assignments 114
References and further reading 115
chapter 6Syntax: simple sentences 117
Roland Pfau
Heleen Bos
6.1Introduction 117
6.2Function of constituents 118
6.3Valency 119
6.4Semantic and grammatical roles 123
6.5Sign order 124
6.5Sign order 124
6.5.1Basic order at the sentence level 125
6.5.2Sign order within the noun phrase 127
6.6Topicalization 129
6.7Sentence types 130
6.7.1Interrogatives 130
6.7.2Imperatives 135
6.8Negation and affirmation 136
6.9Negation and affirmation 140
Summary 144
Test yourself 145
Assignments 145
References and further reading 146
chapter 7Syntax: complex sentences 149
Roland Pfau
7.1Introduction 149
7.2Complement clauses and direct speech 149
7.2.1Complement clauses 150
7.2.2Role shift and direct speech 152
7.3Adverbial clauses 153
7.3.1Temporal clauses 153
7.3.2Causal and purpose clauses 156
7.3.3Conditional clauses 158
7.4Relative clauses 160
7.5Coordination 164
7.5.1Types of coordination 164
7.5.2Ellipsis 166
7.5.3Differences between subordination and coordination 167
Summary 169
Test yourself 170
Assignments 170
References and further reading 171
chapter 8Lexicon 173
Trude Schermer
8.1Introduction 173
8.2What can be a sign? 174
8.3Form and meaning: iconicity 175
8.4The frozen and the productive lexicon 178
8.5Sign language dictionaries 182
8.6Meaning and meaning relations 184
8.7Metaphor and idiom 187
Summary 191
Test yourself 192
Assignments 193
References and further reading 194
chapter 9Morphology 197
Roland Pfau
9.1Introduction 197
9.2Word formation: sequentiality versus simultaneity 197
9.3Compounding 200
9.4Derivation 203
9.5Inflection 206
9.5.1Tense and aspect 206
9.5.2Agreement 210
9.5.3Pluralization 215
9.6Incorporation and classification 219
9.6.1Incorporation 219
9.6.2Classification 221
Summary 224
Test yourself 224
Assignments 225
References and further reading 227
chapter 10Phonetics 229
Onno Crasborn
Els van der Kooij
10.1Introduction 229
10.2Production 231
10.2.1Muscles, joints, and body parts 231
10.2.2Symmetrical articulators: the two hands 234
10.3Perception 236
10.4Phonetic variation 238
10.5Notation systems for sign languages 242
10.6Language technology 245
Summary 247
Test yourself 248
Assignments 248
References and further reading 249
chapter 11Phonology 251
Els van der Kooij
Onno Crasborn
11.1Introduction 251
11.2Handshape 254
11.2.1Selection and position of fingers 254
11.2.2Frequency and markedness 257
11.2.3Allophonic handshapes 259
11.3Orientation 260
11.4Location 262
11.5Movement 265
11.6Non-manual aspects in the lexicon 267
11.7Two-handed signs 268
11.8Phonological processes 270
11.9Iconicity and phonology 271
11.10Prosody 273
Summary 275
Test yourself 276
Assignments 276
References and further reading 278
chapter 12Language variation and standardization 279
Trude Schermer
12.1Introduction 279
12.2What constitutes a standard language? 280
12.3What counts as a dialect in sign languages? 280
12.4Variation in sign languages 281
12.4.1Factors related to the language user 282
12.4.2Factors related to the context of language use 286
12.5Status and recognition of sign languages 289
12.6The politics of language and language policy 290
12.7Standardization 291
12.7.1Non-directed standardization: the role of sign language dictionaries and the media 292
12.7.2The directed standardization process 292
Summary 296
Test yourself 296
Assignments 297
References and further reading 298
chapter 13Language contact and change 299
Trude Schermer
Roland Pfau
13.1Introduction 299
13.2Sign languages in historical perspective 300
13.3Sign language families 301
13.4Diachronic change 302
13.4.1Changes at different linguistic levels 303
13.4.2Grammaticalization 308
13.4.3Lexicalization 311
13.5Language contact 313
13.5.1 Signed and spoken languages 313
13.5.2Code-switching, code-mixing, and code-blending 315
13.5.3Contact between sign languages 316
13.5.4Sign languages in contact with spoken languages 319
Summary 321
Test yourself 322
Assignments 322
References and further reading 323
chapter 14Bilingualism and deaf education 325
Beppie van den Bogaerde
Marjolein Buré
Connie Fortgens
14.1Introduction 325
14.2Bilingual deaf communities 325
14.3Deaf education 327
14.3.1History of deaf education 327
14.3.2Bilingual education 332
Summary 335
Test yourself 335
Assignments 336
References and further reading 336
appendix 1Notation conventions 337
1.Transcription of sign language examples 337
1.1Sign language examples in Salute 337
1.2Sign language examples in glosses 338
2.Abbreviations 340
2.1Sign language acronyms 340
2.2Abbreviations in interlinear translations 341
appendix 2Examples of manual alphabets 343
1.Sign Language of the Netherlands: one-handed alphabet 343
2.British Sign Language: two-handed alphabet 344
References 345
Index 371
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