The Structure of Signed Languages: Phonology, Morphology, Syntax.

The Structure of Signed Languages: Phonology, Morphology, Syntax – A Linguistic Barn Dance! 🥳

Alright, partners! Get ready to do-si-do into the fascinating world of signed languages! We’re not just waving our hands around here; we’re dealing with incredibly complex and beautiful linguistic systems! Today, we’re gonna break down the core components of these languages: phonology (the building blocks), morphology (how those blocks combine), and syntax (how we string ’em together for sentences). Think of it as a linguistic barn dance – lots of moving parts, coordination, and surprisingly intricate steps! 🤠

I. Introduction: Signed Languages are REAL Languages! (Duh!)

Let’s get one thing straight right off the bat: signed languages are NOT just pantomime or gestures! 🙅‍♀️ They are fully-fledged, complete languages with their own grammar, vocabulary, and cultural nuances. Just like spoken languages, they evolve, borrow words, and even have dialects! Imagine someone saying, "Oh, you just speak gestures?" You’d be insulted, right? It’s the same for signers!

Many people mistakenly believe that signed languages are simply visual representations of English (or whatever the dominant spoken language in the area). This is a HUGE misconception. American Sign Language (ASL), for example, is completely different from English in its structure and grammar. Trying to sign English word-for-word in ASL would be like trying to bake a cake with a hammer – messy and ineffective! 🔨🍰

So, let’s dive into the good stuff. We’re going to explore the three key areas that define the structure of any language, signed or spoken:

• Phonology: The study of the smallest contrastive units of language.
• Morphology: The study of how words are formed.
• Syntax: The study of how words are combined to form sentences.

II. Phonology: The Hands, Face, and Space Alphabet Soup! 🍲

In spoken languages, phonology deals with phonemes – the individual sounds that make up words (like /k/, /æ/, /t/ in "cat"). Signed languages, being visual-spatial, use different parameters to create meaningful distinctions. Instead of sounds, we have… cheremes! Think of cheremes as the "phonemes" of signed languages. They are the minimal units that distinguish one sign from another.

Here are the five main parameters of sign phonology:

Parameter	Description	Example (ASL)	Icon
Handshape	The shape of the hand(s) used in the sign.	Open B-hand, Claw-hand, C-hand	🖐️✊👌
Location	Where the sign is made in relation to the body.	Neutral space, forehead, chest	📍👆👇
Movement	The type of movement the hand(s) make.	Straight, circular, twisting	➡️🔄🌀
Palm Orientation	The direction the palm(s) are facing.	Upward, downward, sideways	✋⬆️⬇️➡️
Non-Manual Signals (NMS)	Facial expressions, head movements, and body posture that contribute to the meaning.	Eyebrow raise, head nod, shoulder shrug	🤨点头🤷‍♀️

Let’s break these down with some examples! Imagine the ASL signs for "APPLE" and "ONION."

• APPLE: A closed fist (A-handshape) rubs against the cheek (location).
• ONION: An X-handshape twists near the corner of the eye (location).

The difference in handshape (A vs. X) and movement (rubbing vs. twisting) are what distinguish these two signs! If you used an X-handshape to sign "APPLE," you’d essentially be saying something nonsensical, like using the /b/ sound in "cat" instead of /k/. 🤪

Important Note about NMS: These are NOT optional! Non-manual signals are crucial for conveying grammatical information, emotions, and emphasis. For example, raising your eyebrows while signing a question in ASL is like adding a question mark at the end of a sentence in English. It’s not just about looking quizzical; it changes the entire meaning!

Consider these examples:

• ASL "FAR": Hand moves away from the body with neutral facial expression.
• ASL "FAR AWAY (VERY FAR)": Hand moves further away from the body with widened eyes and pursed lips.

The change in facial expression makes a HUGE difference!

Phonological Processes: Just like spoken languages, signed languages have phonological processes. These are systematic changes that occur to signs in certain contexts.

• Assimilation: One parameter of a sign changes to become more like a neighboring sign. For example, the handshape of one sign might influence the handshape of the next sign in a sentence, making the transition smoother.
• Weak Hand Deletion: In two-handed signs where one hand is dominant and the other is non-dominant, the non-dominant hand might be omitted in certain contexts.
• Movement Reduction: Fast signing often leads to the reduction of movement in signs.

III. Morphology: Building Words Sign by Sign! 🧱

Morphology is where things get really interesting! It’s the study of how words are formed from smaller units called morphemes. Morphemes are the smallest units of meaning in a language. In spoken languages, morphemes can be prefixes, suffixes, or roots (e.g., "un-", "-ing", "walk").

In signed languages, morphology often involves manipulating the parameters of a sign to create new meanings. Here are some common morphological processes in signed languages:

• Reduplication: Repeating a sign or part of a sign to indicate plurality, intensity, or habitual action.
  • Example (ASL): The sign for "LOOK" repeated multiple times can mean "LOOK AROUND."
• Inflection: Changing the movement or location of a sign to indicate tense, aspect, or agreement.
  • Example (ASL): The sign for "GIVE" can be modified to indicate who is giving to whom. By moving the sign from the signer towards another location, the direction of giving is specified.
• Compounding: Combining two or more signs to create a new sign with a combined meaning.
  • Example (ASL): "THINK" + "STRONG" = "BELIEVE."
• Numeral Incorporation: Incorporating numbers into signs to indicate quantity or frequency.
  • Example (ASL): The sign for "WEEK" can be modified to indicate the number of weeks (e.g., "THREE-WEEKS" using the "3" handshape).

Let’s look at reduplication in more detail. Imagine you want to say "I often go to the store." You wouldn’t just sign "I GO STORE." You might repeat the movement of the "GO" sign several times to indicate the habitual nature of the action. It’s like saying "I go, go, go to the store!"

Derivational vs. Inflectional Morphology: Just like spoken languages, signed languages distinguish between derivational and inflectional morphology.

• Derivational Morphology: Creates new words with different meanings (e.g., adding "-er" to "teach" to create "teacher").
• Inflectional Morphology: Modifies a word to indicate grammatical features like tense, number, or agreement (e.g., adding "-s" to "walk" to create "walks").

In ASL, compounding is a very productive way to create new words. For example:

• "BREAK" + "FAST" = "BREAKFAST"
• "SUN" + "RISE" = "SUNRISE"

Clever, right? It’s like visual wordplay! 🎭

IV. Syntax: Arranging the Dance Floor! 💃🕺

Syntax is all about sentence structure – how words are combined to form meaningful phrases and sentences. This is where things get really interesting because signed languages often have word orders that are different from spoken languages like English.

English typically follows a Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) word order (e.g., "The cat chased the mouse"). However, ASL often uses a Topic-Comment structure. The topic (what you’re talking about) comes first, followed by the comment (what you’re saying about the topic).

Example (ASL):

• ENGLISH: "The cat chased the mouse." (SVO)
• ASL: "CAT, MOUSE CHASE." (Topic-Comment)

Notice how the cat is established as the topic first, and then the action of chasing is described.

Other Syntactic Features of Signed Languages:

• Spatial Referencing: Using the signing space to refer to people, objects, and locations. You can assign a specific location in space to a person or object, and then refer back to that location throughout the conversation. This allows you to track who is doing what to whom without explicitly repeating the nouns. It’s like having a virtual stage where you can place your actors! 🎭
• Classifier Predicates: Using specific handshapes to represent the shape, size, and movement of objects. For example, a "CLAW-handshape" might be used to represent a car, while a "1-handshape" might be used to represent a person walking. These classifiers are highly versatile and can be used to describe a wide range of actions and situations.
• Topicalization: Moving a constituent to the beginning of the sentence to emphasize it. This is often accompanied by non-manual signals like raised eyebrows.
  • Example (ASL): "PIZZA, I WANT!" (Emphasizing the pizza)
• Role Shifting: Physically shifting your body to adopt the perspective of a different character in a narrative. This allows you to show what each character is thinking and feeling, making the story more vivid and engaging. It’s like becoming a one-person play! 🎭

Why the Different Word Order?

There are several theories why signed languages often deviate from SVO word order:

• Visual Prominence: Placing the topic first makes it visually salient for the audience.
• Working Memory: Topic-Comment structure might be easier to process visually, especially when dealing with complex spatial information.
• Iconicity: Some researchers argue that the spatial nature of signed languages allows for more iconic representations of events, which can influence word order.

V. Variation and Dialects: A Sign Language Melting Pot! 🍲

Just like spoken languages, signed languages are not monolithic. There is significant variation between different signed languages around the world (e.g., ASL, British Sign Language (BSL), French Sign Language (LSF)). Even within a single signed language, there can be regional dialects, age-related variations, and individual signing styles.

Imagine someone from Brooklyn trying to understand someone from rural Alabama. They both speak English, but their accents and vocabulary might be very different! It’s the same with signed languages. A signer from California might use different signs or grammatical structures than a signer from New York.

Factors Influencing Variation:

• Geographical Location: Different regions develop their own unique signs and grammatical structures.
• Education: Formal education can influence signing style and vocabulary.
• Age: Younger signers might use different signs or slang than older signers.
• Contact with Spoken Languages: Exposure to spoken languages can influence the vocabulary and grammar of signed languages.

VI. Conclusion: The Dance Continues! 🎶

So, there you have it! A whirlwind tour of the phonology, morphology, and syntax of signed languages. We’ve seen that these languages are complex, structured, and incredibly expressive. They are not just visual representations of spoken languages; they are unique linguistic systems with their own rules and conventions.

Learning about the structure of signed languages can help us appreciate the diversity of human communication and challenge our assumptions about what language is and how it works. It’s a fascinating field that continues to evolve and surprise us.

Now, go forth and explore the wonderful world of signed languages! And remember, learning a new language is like learning a new dance – it takes practice, patience, and a willingness to step outside your comfort zone! 💃🕺

Further Exploration:

• Linguistics departments at universities often have courses on signed language linguistics.
• Online resources like Lifeprint.com offer free ASL lessons and information about ASL grammar.
• Books like "Understanding ASL: The Complete Course" by Pamela J. Baker and Roz Cleve are excellent resources for learning about ASL.

Happy signing! 👋🎉