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(Sub)lexical changes in iconic signs to realign with community sensibilities and experiences

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 October 2019

Gene Mirus ,
Jami Fisher  and
Donna Jo Napoli
Gene Mirus
Affiliation:
Gallaudet University, USA
Jami Fisher
Affiliation:
University of Pennsylvania, USA
Donna Jo Napoli*
Affiliation:
Swarthmore College, USA
*
Address for correspondence: Donna Jo Napoli Swarthmore College, 500 College Ave., Swarthmore, PA19081, USAdnapoli1@swarthmore.edu
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Abstract

Sign language lexicons include iconic items, where phonological form is somewhat representative of sense. As experiences of individuals change, the mapping from form to meaning may become inappropriate (as when technological or environmental changes occur) or may be considered incongruous with perceptions of reality (as when culture shifts). Many misalignments of form and sense are tolerated, with the result that a sign's original iconicity is lost. Other misalignments are obliterated; signers make sublexical changes or entire lexical substitutions. We call these (sub)lexical changes ‘corrections’. We argue that misalignments that are regrettable are more likely to be corrected, where regrettable misalignments are those that are not true to realities/experiences of profound importance to deaf individuals.

While the focus here is on American Sign Language, corrections should be apparent in any sign language and might occur in those spoken languages with a high frequency of nonarbitrary relationships between form and sense. (Sign language, variation, taboo terms, euphemism, iconicity, identity)*

Type
Articles
Information
Language in Society , Volume 49 , Issue 2 , April 2020 , pp. 283 - 309
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019

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Footnotes

*

We thank Julie Hochgesang, Sally McConnell-Ginet, and Ceil Lucas for discussions of various points in this article. We thank our anonymous reviewers for helping sharpen our arguments.

References

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