Modality and Structure in Signed and Spoken Languages [Paperback]

Signed languages are the visual-gestural languages of deaf communities. This book investigates their linguistic properties.Signed languages are the naturally-evolved visual-gestural languages of deaf communities, and the realization that they are true languages is one of the great discoveries of the last 30 years of linguistic research. This book examines the linguistic properties of many sign languages, including detailed case studies of Hong Kong, British, Mexican, and German sign languages. The contributors focus on a single question: to what extent is linguistic structure influenced by whether a language is signed or spoken? Their answers contribute to our understanding of why languages are organized as they are.Signed languages are the naturally-evolved visual-gestural languages of deaf communities, and the realization that they are true languages is one of the great discoveries of the last 30 years of linguistic research. This book examines the linguistic properties of many sign languages, including detailed case studies of Hong Kong, British, Mexican, and German sign languages. The contributors focus on a single question: to what extent is linguistic structure influenced by whether a language is signed or spoken? Their answers contribute to our understanding of why languages are organized as they are.Signed languages are the naturally-evolved visual-gestural languages of deaf communities. The realization that they are true languages is one of the great discoveries of the last thirty years of linguistic research. This book examines the linguistic properties of many, including detailed case studies of Hong Kong, British, Mexican and German signed languages. The contributors focus on determining the extent that linguistic structure is influenced by whether a language is signed or spoken. Their answers contribute to further understanding the organization of languages.1. Why different, why the same? Explaining effects and non-effects of modality upon linguistic stl_