LL-L: "Sign language" LOWLANDS-L, 30.JAN.2000 (07) [E]

[Lowlands-L Administrator]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 30.JAN.2000 (07) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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 A=Afrikaans, Ap=Appalachean, D=Dutch, E=English, F=Frisian, L=Limburgish
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From: Sandy Fleming [sandy at fleimin.demon.co.uk]
Subject: LL-L: "Sign language"

> From: gft [gftighe2 at home.com]
> Subject: LL-L: "Sign language" LOWLANDS-L, 26.JAN.2000 (13) [E]
>
> I read within the last 5 years that deaf children raised together in
> geographical isolation, without the benefit of sign language training
> evolve/develop their own system, and that when disparate
> similarly raised groups
> interact it takes little time, and effort before there is easy
> communication.
> (My paraphrasing above is of the work of a Canadian academic
> working abroad.

Well, I would think that language would develop between hearing children
just the same, considering that twins or even just siblings that are
particularly close tend to develop their own languages. And as I've already
said, the "language barrier" doesn't really exist for signers, at least not
nearly to the extent that it does for spoken languages. Your Canadian
academic  should have asked me first! Oh, but that would have put an end to
his research budget, wouldn't it? Panem et circensis :)

> A Fanciful notion.
> Given: There are sight/sound/meaning commonalties in the Lowland
> Languages. I
> wonder if a group of Lowland mono linguists, one participant from
> each tongue,
> were isolated in the Veldt, or Northern Canada how long it would
> take before a
> new Lowland language would evolve?

Something even more fanciful has already been done! James the Somethingth of
Scotland, the one that thought he was pretty smart, had twin children
isolated on the island of Inchkeith in the Firth of Forth with a mute nurse,
to see what sort of language they would speak. When the children were
brought back it was found they spoke German.

Bizarre, eh? Yes, it's bizarre how easily some would-be scientists can be
fooled! Cherchez la femme...

Sandy
http://scotstext.org
http://www.fleimin.demon.co.uk

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