The Impact of Time on Predicate Forms in the Manual Modality: Signers, Homesigners, and Silent Gesturers. (20th October 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Goldin‐Meadow, Susan
• Is Part Of: Topics in cognitive science. Volume 7:Number 1(2015:Jan.)
• Page Start: 169
• Page End: 184
• Publication Date: 2014-10-20
• Subjects: Cognitive science -- Periodicals; Cognitive Science -- Periodicals; 153.05
• DOI: 10.1111/tops.12119
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1756-8757

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="tops12119-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>It is difficult to create spoken forms that can be understood on the spot. But the manual modality, in large part because of its iconic potential, allows us to construct forms that are immediately understood, thus requiring essentially no time to develop. This paper contrasts manual forms for actions produced over three time spans—by silent gesturers who are asked to invent gestures on the spot; by homesigners who have created gesture systems over their life spans; and by signers who have learned a conventional sign language from other signers—and finds that properties of the predicate differ across these time spans. Silent gesturers use <italic>location</italic> to establish co‐reference in the way established sign languages do, but they show little evidence of the segmentation sign languages display in <italic>motion</italic> forms for manner and path, and little evidence of the finger complexity sign languages display in <italic>handshapes</italic> in predicates representing events. Homesigners, in contrast, not only use <italic>location</italic> to establish co‐reference but also display segmentation in their <italic>motion</italic> forms for manner and path and finger complexity in their object <italic>handshapes</italic>, although they have not yet decreased finger complexity to the levels found in sign languages in their handling <italic>handshapes</italic>. The manual modality thus allows us to watch language as it grows, offering insight into factors that may have shaped and may continue to shape human language.</p> </abstract>