7 - Symmetric Hands in Sign Language Phonologies

Summary

This chapter looks at sociolinguistic variation (resulting from sociohistorical factors that differentiate people into groups) and how it interfaces with phonological differences. The specific phonological difference under study is the use of the two hands versus the use of only one as an aspect of sublexical structure (i.e., as a phonological feature) in individual signs, and their overall patterning throughout the lexicon and morphophonology. We examine how Black ASL demonstrates the distribution of allophony in two-handed vs. one-handed lexical variants of signs.