Comparing body-part size and shape constructions in village sign languages with co-speech gesture

Nyst, V.A.S.; Tano, A.J.J.

doi:doi:10.1353/sls.2018.0015

Nyst, V.A.S.; Tano, A.J.J. (2018)

Comparing body-part size and shape constructions in village sign languages with co-speech gesture

This article presents a comparison of constructions used to express size and shape in co-speech gesture and in two village sign language. The analysis focuses on body part size and shape constructions found in the gestures of speakers of Anyi (Côte d’Ivoire), in the emerging SL of Bouakako (Côte d’Ivoire), and the older, well-established SL of Adamorobe (Ghana). An analysis in terms of diversity in forms and in combinatorial properties are indicative of grammaticalization and lexicalization taking place over time.

size and shape specifiers

West African sign languages

emerging languages, emergence of linguistic structure

Adamorobe Sign Language

Bouakako Sign Language

measure stick signs

embodiment

body parts