ERIC Number: ED189874
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1978
Pages: 106
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Sign Language Structure.
Stokoe, William C.
The sign language of the American deaf community (ASL) is analyzed from a linguistic point of view. The history of the application of linguistic principles to sign language studies is briefly traced. The cherology (phonology) of sign language is treated with respect to finger spelling, manual numeration, ASL phonetics, and conventions of sign notation. The last subject deals with the three aspects of a sign that indicate where on the body it takes place (tabula, or tab), handshape and attitude (designator, or dez), and the action of the sign (signation, or sig). A section on morphocheremics deals with stylistic differences, double dez relationships, possible causes for sign change, compound signs, classes of color terms, and signs with initial letter dez. Finally, a section on morphology is devoted to questions and answers in ASL, the headshake as a signed negative, ASL syntax, and bilingualism and diglossia in deaf communities. A table of symbols used for writing signs is included. (JB)
Descriptors: American Sign Language, Descriptive Linguistics, Manual Communication, Morphology (Languages), Morphophonemics, Phonetics, Phonology, Syntax
Linstok Press, Inc., 9306 Mintwood Street, Silver Spring, MD 20901 ($3.50 plus $.85 postage, 10 or more copies $2.80 each)
Publication Type: Information Analyses; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A