The Cambridge Handbook of Linguistic Typology

Abstract

Sign language typology is the study of languages that use the visual-gestural rather than the auditory-vocal modality, and allows typologists to consider issues of language modality alongside typological patterns.Modality effects may be absolute, where features exist only in one of the modalities, or relative, where features are more frequent in one modality than the other. Sign language typologists, while widening the scope of typological investigations, are also concerned with many of the same issues as spoken language typologists, such as areal typology, grammaticalisation, and methodological questions. Although sign language typology is one of the more recent areas to emerge in the field, several studies have examined domains of linguistic structures in over 30 sign languages, and we focus on key findings from research in the domains of interrogatives, negation, possession, and numerals. The aim of the chapter is not to give comprehensive overviews of each domain, but rather to highlight issues of general relevance. We conclude with reflections on the emerging field of cross-modal typology, where data from spoken and signed languages are systematically included. This endeavour may necessitate the redefinition of terms and concepts, and will present new challenges for spoken and sign language typologists alike. Keywordscross-modal typology, iconicity, interrogatives, modality effects, negation, numerals, possession, rural sign languages, sign language linguistics The context and aims of sign language typologySign language typology lies at the confluence of sign language linguistics and linguistic typology. Drawing on theoretical and methodological resources from its two source disciplines, it has a double orientation, broadening linguistic typology to include sign languages, while examining linguistic diversity within sign languages from a typological perspective. Ultimately, typological studies of sign languages will lead to a theory of variation which accounts for the patterns of differences and similarities that we find both across sign languages and between signed languages on the one hand and spoken languages on the other, and such reasoning sometimes offers the potential for a deep re-thinking of linguistic theories.

Vocal iconicity in nominal classification

“…Non-agreeing systems include most systems traditionally labelled 'classifier' systems. This group comprises a fairly diverse set of systems, which are often divided into a typology based on the morphosyntactic locus of the classifier morphemes: numeral classifiers, noun classifiers, and verbal classifiers, as well as further semantically-and syntactically-based distinctions such as sortal and mensural classifiers (Aikhenvald, 2006(Aikhenvald, , 2017Grinevald, 2000). What non-agreeing systems have in common is that the number of distinctions typically is higher (from a couple of dozen to a couple of hundred), and that nominal classification devices tend to be assigned to nouns on a more flexible and context-dependent basis (Seifart, 2010, p. 72ff).…”

Deconstructing notions of morphological “complexity”: Lessons from creoles and sign languages

“…Due to the iconic affordances of the visual-spatial modality, simultaneous morphology in sign languages shows many cross-linguistic similarities in form and frequency. Simultaneous morphology has often been described as specific to sign languages(Aronoff, Meir & Sandler 2005; Meier, Cormier & Quinto-Pozos 2002;Zeshan & Palfreyman 2017); however, parallels can be made with tone in spoken languages (e.g Pfau 2015;Nespor & Sandler 1999)…”