12 - Sign languages

Summary

Deaf speakers all over the world have developed their own sign languages, with elements from already existing sign languages, spontaneous new creations, and rather independently from the spoken languages of the area. As these languages develop, and become the stable languages of Deaf communities, they develop complex systems of functional categories as well, the subject of this chapter. I begin by outlining some of the relevant issues in the study of sign languages, before turning to two concrete issues: mouthing and grammaticalisation in sign languages, and two specific functional domains in the study of these languages: reference tracking and agreement, and classifiers.

[The following sign languages will be referred to in this chapter: AdaSL = Adamarobe Sign Language (Ghana); ASL American Sign Language; DGS = German Sign Language; GSL = Greek Sign Language; ISL = Israeli Sign Language; LIS = Italian Sign Language; KSL = Korean Sign language; LIU = Jordanian Sign Language; NGT = Dutch Sign Language; TSL = Taiwanese Sign Language.]

The study of sign languages

I will not even begin to try and summarise the findings in the rapidly growing field of sign language studies, but will limit myself to highlighting only a few issues. A first question is: are sign languages, deep down inside, like spoken languages? Many sign researchers will answer this question in the positive. However, then the question is: like which spoken languages?