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The categorical role of structurally iconic signs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 April 2017

Brent Strickland
Affiliation:
Departement d'Etudes Cognitives, Ecole Normale Superieure – PSL Research University, Institut Jean Nicod (ENS, EHESS, CNRS), 75005 Paris, France.stricklandbrent@gmail.comvale.aristodemo@gmail.comjeremy.d.kuhn@gmail.comcarlo.geraci76@gmail.com
Valentina Aristodemo
Affiliation:
Departement d'Etudes Cognitives, Ecole Normale Superieure – PSL Research University, Institut Jean Nicod (ENS, EHESS, CNRS), 75005 Paris, France.stricklandbrent@gmail.comvale.aristodemo@gmail.comjeremy.d.kuhn@gmail.comcarlo.geraci76@gmail.com
Jeremy Kuhn
Affiliation:
Departement d'Etudes Cognitives, Ecole Normale Superieure – PSL Research University, Institut Jean Nicod (ENS, EHESS, CNRS), 75005 Paris, France.stricklandbrent@gmail.comvale.aristodemo@gmail.comjeremy.d.kuhn@gmail.comcarlo.geraci76@gmail.com
Carlo Geraci
Affiliation:
Departement d'Etudes Cognitives, Ecole Normale Superieure – PSL Research University, Institut Jean Nicod (ENS, EHESS, CNRS), 75005 Paris, France.stricklandbrent@gmail.comvale.aristodemo@gmail.comjeremy.d.kuhn@gmail.comcarlo.geraci76@gmail.com

Abstract

Goldin-Meadow & Brentari (G-M&B) argue that, for sign language users, gesture – in contrast to linguistic sign – is iconic, highly variable, and similar to spoken language co-speech gesture. We discuss two examples (telicity and absolute gradable adjectives) that challenge the use of these criteria for distinguishing sign from gesture.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

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References

Aristodemo, V. & Geraci, C. (2015) Comparative constructions and visible degrees in LIS. Talk given at FEAST 2015, Barcelona.Google Scholar
Strickland, B., Geraci, C., Chemla, E., Schlenker, P., Kelepir, M. & Pfau, R. (2015) Event representations constrain the structure of language: Sign language as a window into universally accessible linguistic biases. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 112(19):5968–73.Google Scholar
Wilbur, R. B. (2003) Representation of telicity in ASL. Chicago Linguistic Society 39:354–68.Google Scholar
Wilbur, R. B. (2008) Complex predicates involving events, time and aspect: Is this why sign languages look so similar? In: Signs of the time: Selected papers from TISLR 2004, ed. Quer, J., pp. 219–50. Signum.Google Scholar