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Usage-based grammars and sign languages

Evidence from Auslan, British sign language, and New Zealand sign language

ORCiD logo with link | University of Birmingham
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Abstract
Work within variationist corpus-based sign language linguistics often has implications for linguistic theory in general, as this quantitative data-driven approach can be used to test claims in any linguistic theory. In this paper, I discuss a number of previous findings on variation in specific phonological, morphological, and syntactic features in Auslan, New Zealand Sign Language (Schembri, Adam, David McKee, Rachel L. McKee, Trevor Johnston, Della Goswell & Sara Pivac. 2009. Phonological variation and change in Australian and New Zealand Sign Languages: The location variable. Language Variation and Change 21(2). 193–231. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar; de Beuzeville, Louise, Trevor Johnston & Adam Schembri. 2009. The use of space with indicating verbs in Auslan: A corpus based investigation. Sign Language & Linguistics 12(1). 53–82. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar; McKee, Rachel, Adam Schembri, David McKee & Trevor Johnston. 2011. Variable “subject” expression in Australian Sign Language and New Zealand Sign Language. Language Variation and Change 23(3). 1–24. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar) and British Sign Language (Fenlon, Jordan, Adam Schembri, Ramas Rentelis & Kearsy Cormier. 2013. Variation in handshape and orientation in British Sign Language: The case of the ‘1’ hand configuration. Language and Communication 33(1). 69–91. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar) that appear to provide some support for usage-based theories of language. First, I discuss the role of lexical frequency effects and phonological reduction in Auslan, NZSL, and BSL. Second, I explore lexical frequency and the modification of indicating verbs in Auslan (de Beuzeville, Louise, Trevor Johnston & Adam Schembri. 2009. The use of space with indicating verbs in Auslan: A corpus based investigation. Sign Language & Linguistics 12(1). 53–82. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar). Third, I discuss evidence for short-term structural priming in variable subject noun phrase expression (McKee, Rachel, Adam Schembri, David McKee & Trevor Johnston. 2011. Variable “subject” expression in Australian Sign Language and New Zealand Sign Language. Language Variation and Change 23(3). 1–24. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar) in Auslan. All of these different sources of evidence provide support for a usage-based theory of sign language grammar.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Usage-based grammar
  • 3.The role of lexical frequency
  • 4.The role of structural priming
  • 5.Corpus-based approaches to the study of sign language
    • 5.1Auslan corpora
    • 5.2New Zealand Sign Language corpora
    • 5.3The British Sign Language corpus project
  • 6.Lexical frequency in sign languages
  • 7.Evidence from sign language phonology: Lexical frequency and phonological variation in Auslan, NZSL and BSL
  • 8.Evidence from sign language morphology: Lexical frequency and the spatial modification of indicating verbs in Auslan
  • 9.Evidence from sign language syntax: Short-term structural priming and variable subject presence in Auslan and NZSL
  • 10.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Note
  • Author queries
  • References
References (61)
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