Hostname: page-component-7b7567c8c-jswmv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-11-15T17:21:35.080Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Black southern signing1,2,3

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 December 2008

James C. Woodward Jr
James C. Woodward Jr
Affiliation:
Linguistics Research Lab., Gallaudet College
Get accessRights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Recent research in American Sign Language (ASL) has concentrated on demonstrating that ASL, a language channelled through the manual—visual modality, has linguistic properties similar to those of oral languages, except for physical sound. The absence of sound, however, really presents no theoretical problem since ASL has a formational level of structure analogous to, but not dependent on, the phonological component of oral languages (Stokoe 1960; Battison 1974).

This paper will discuss a relatively new area of research in Sign linguistics, ethnic—social variation. Because of attitudes and educational policy, Black signers in the South have developed different varieties of signing from Whites. Concentrating primarily on Black signs in Georgia, this paper will discuss some of the lexical and formational (phonological) variation observed in old and young Black signers. (Sociolinguistic variation; sign languages; linguistic change; minority group languages.)

Information

Type
Articles
Information
Language in Society , Volume 5 , Issue 2 , August 1976, pp. 211 - 218
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1976

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

REFERENCES

Battison, R. (1974). Phonological deletion in American sign language. Sign Language Studies 5, 1–19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bickerton, D. (1973). The structure of polylectal grammars. GUMSLL 25. 17–42.Google Scholar
Croneberg, C. (1965). Sign language dialects. A dictionary of American sign language. Washington, D.C.: Gallaudet College Press. 313–19.Google Scholar
Fasold, R. (1973). The concept of ‘earlier-later’: More or less correct. In Bailey, C. J. and Shuy, R. (eds) New ways of analyzing variation in English. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press. 183–97.Google Scholar
Frishberg, N. (1973). Arbitrariness and iconicity: Historical change in American sign language. A paper presented at the annual meeting of the LSA, 1973, San Diego.Google Scholar
Meadow, K. (1972). Sociolinguistics, Sign language, and the deaf sub-culture. In O'Rourke, T. J. (ed.) Psycholinguistics and total communication: The state of the art. Silver Spring, Md.: American Annals of the Deaf.Google Scholar
Stokoe, W. C. (1960). Sign language structure: An outline of the visual communication systems of the American deaf. University of Buffalo, Occasional Paper 8.Google Scholar
Stokoe, W. C. (1970). Sign language diglossia. Studies in Linguistics 25. 27–51.Google Scholar
Stokoe, W. C., Casterline, D. & Croneber, C. (1965). A dictionary of American sign language. Washington, D.C.: Gallaudet College Press.Google Scholar
Woodward, J. C. (1973a). Some observations on sociolinguistic variation and American sign language. Kansas Journal of Sociology 9 (2). 191–200.Google Scholar
Woodward, J. C. (1973b). Some characteristics of pidgin sign English. Sign Language Studies 3. 39–46.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Woodward, J. C. & DeSantis, S. (ms.) Two to one it happens. Washington, D.C.: Linguistics Research Lab, Gallaudet College.Google Scholar
Woodward, J. C. & Erting, C.Synchronic variation and historical change in American sign language. A paper presented at the summer meeting of the LSA, 1974, Amherst. Language Sciences 37. 10 1975.Google Scholar
Woodward, J. C., Erting, C. & Oliver, S. (1974). Facing and hand(I)ing variation in American sign language phonology. A paper presented at the NWAVE III Conference, 10 1974, Georgetown University.Google Scholar
Woodward, J. C. & Markowicz, H. (1975). Some handy new ideas on pidgins and creoles: Pidgin sign languages. A paper presented at the 1975 International Conference on Pidgin and Creole Languages, 01 1975, Honolulu.Google Scholar