Mouth Actions in Sign Languages: An Empirical Study of Irish Sign Language (Sign Languages and Deaf Communities [Sldc]) (Sign Languages and Deaf Communities, 3)

Mouth actions in sign languages have been controversially discussed but the sociolinguistic factors determining their form and functions remain uncertain. This first empirical analysis of mouth actions in Irish Sign Language focuses on correlations with gender, age, and word class. It contributes to the linguistic description of ISL, research into non-manuals in sign languages, and is relevant for the cross-modal study of word classes. Acknowledgements Contents List of figures List of tables Abbreviations Notational Conventions 1. Introduction 2. The Linguistic Setup of Sign Languages – The Case of Irish Sign Language (ISL) 2.1. The Sociolinguistics of ISL 2.2. The Educational System and Oralism 2.3. Structural Issues: The Use of Space 2.4. Structural Issues: Iconicity 2.5. Structural Issues: Simultaneity 2.6. Structural issues: Non-manual Features 3. Non-manuals in Sign Languages – Theoretical Background 3.1. Non-Mouth Related Non-Manuals 3.1.1. Eye Gaze 3.1.2. Facial Expression 3.1.2.1. Facial Expression and the Lexicon 3.1.2.2. Facial Expression and Syntax 3.1.2.3. Facial Expression and Prosody 3.1.3. Head Movements 3.2. Mouth Actions 3.2.1. Mouth Gestures 3.2.2. Echo Phonology 3.2.3. Mouthings 3.2.4. Spreading of Mouth Actions 4. Mouth Actions in ISL – A Typology of Mouthings and Mouth Gestures 4.1. Data Sources and Methodology 4.2. Categorization of Mouth Actions in the SOI Data 4.2.1. Mouthings 4.2.2. Mouth Gestures 4.2.3. Mouth Actions in the SOI at a Glance 5. Mouth Actions in ISL – Sociolinguistic Factors 5.1. Research Questions and Hypotheses 5.2. Mouth Actions and Gender 5.2.1. Mouth Actions in Women 5.2.2. Mouth Actions in Men 5.2.3. Comparison of Mouth Actions in Men and Women 5.3. Combining Two Sociolinguistic Factors – Gender and Age 6. Mouth Actions in ISL – Linguistic Factors 6.1. Word Classes – Historical and Theoretical Background 6.1.1. Semantic Approaches to Word Class Distinction 6.1.2. Syntactic Approaches to Word Class Distinction 6.1.3. Morphosyntactic Approaches to Word Class Distinction 6.1.4. Word Class Distinction in Sign Languages 6.1.5. Discussion 6.2. Mouth Actions and Word Classes in ISL 6.2.1. Syntactic Categories of ISL 6.2.2. Lexical Classes of ISL 6.2.3. Correlations of Word Classes and Mouth Actions 6.2.4. Mouth Gestures as a Category in Its Own Right? 6.2.5. Discussion of the Results within a Functional Linguistic Model 7. Conclusion Appendix A. Complete list of lexical signs and fingerspellings with mouthings Appendix B. Contexts for examples (glossed with mouthings) Notes Reference Index Editorial board: Carlo Geraci, Rachel McKee, Victoria Nyst, Marianne Rossi Stumpf, Felix Sze, Sandra WoodOver the past decades, the field of sign language linguistics has expanded considerably. Recent research on sign languages includes a wide range of subdomains such as reference grammars, theoretical linguistics, psycho- and neurolinguistics, sociolinguistics, and applied studies on sign languages and Deaf communities. The SLDC series is concerned with the study of sign languages in a comprehensive way, covering various theoretical, experimental, and applied dimensions of sign language research and their relationship to Deaf communities around the world. The series provides a multidisciplinary platform for innovative and outstanding research in sign language linguistics and aims at linking the study of sign languages to current trends in modern linguistics, such as new experimental and theoretical investigations, the importance of language endangerment, the impact of technological developments on data collection and Deaf education, and the broadening geographical scope of typological sign language studies, especially in terms of research on non-Western sign languages and Deaf communities. Mouth actions in sign languages have been controversially discussed but the sociolinguistic factors determining their form and functions remain uncertain. This book contributes to the linguistic description of ISL, research into non-manuals in sign languages, and is relevant for the cross-modal study of word classes.