SL and other codes

[Adam C Schembri]

Both Auslan (Australian Sign Language) and BSL (British Sign  
Language) have seen traditional signs replaced by autochthonous signs  
for countries and cities, so it's definitely not just an ASL thing.  
There is, however, a bit of backlash amongst some BSL teachers here  
who reject the introduced signs, and continue using the traditional  
BSL signs for UNITED-STATES-OF-AMERICA, ITALY, GERMANY, IRELAND etc.

I'm not aware of any empirical research into how widely used  
traditional or recently borrowed country signs are in BSL, but a  
little work on Auslan (still being coded) shows that it probably  
varies according to the sign in question: the introduced sign for  
UNITED-STATES-OF-AMERICA seems to be used by signers of all age  
groups across the country , but the newer sign CHINA appears more  
restricted.

Americans wouldn't be happy to see the traditional sign for USA in  
Auslan regain much ground - it's identical to a variant of the ASL  
sign for DIRTY or PIG (folk etymology in Australia for our sign is,  
however, 'Uncle Sam's beard').

As an excellent guide to how future publications ought to deal with  
the lack of standardisation in sign language nomenclature, the  
following new book includes (1) a list of acronyms and initialisms  
for particular signs language names used by the book's contributors  
(e.g., HZJ), (2) spoken language equivalents (e.g., Hrvatski Znakovni  
Jezik), (3) English translations if needed (Croatian Sign Language)  
and (4) Ethnologue codes (where available, e.g. CSQ). Well done to  
Pamela, Roland and Markus for leading the way on this.

Perniss, P., Pfau, R. & Steinbach, M. (Eds.), (2007). Visible  
variation: Comparative studies on sign language structure. Berlin:  
Mouton de Gruyter.


Adam

Adam C Schembri, PhD
Senior Research Fellow
Deafness, Cognition and Language (DCAL) Research Centre
University College London
49 Gordon Square
London WC1H 0PD
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 20 7679 8680
http://www.dcal.ucl.ac.uk/team/adam_schembri.html



On 5 Sep 2007, at 22:29, Albert Bickford wrote:

> The tendency towards using an internal name as an external one is  
> not limited to Gallaudet or to sign languages.
>
> There is, for example, the tendency to borrow into ASL (and  
> probably other sign languages) the name of a country that is used  
> by Deaf in that country.  Thus, signs for CHINA, JAPAN, AUSTRALIA,  
> RUSSIA, and probably others have changed or are in the process of  
> changing.
>
> Outside the realm of sign linguistics, it has become increasingly  
> common for indigenous groups and their speakers over the past  
> couple decades to reject names given to them by others and to ask/ 
> insist/agitate to be called by their own name for themselves.   
> Often, the etymology behind the name given by outsiders is  
> pejorative, whereas the internal name simply means "people" or  
> "language".  So, for example, I think of the following  
> substitutions that have gained general acceptance in the last  
> couple decades, and I'm sure there are many more.
>
> Auca > Waorani (Ecuador)
> Papago > Tohono O'odham (Arizona, USA)
> Tlapanec > Me'phaa (Mexico)
> Otomi > Hñahñu (Mexico, spelling varies depending on dialect)
> Tarascan > Purepecha (Mexico)
>
> I don't feel that etymology determines meaning, but I respect  
> people's concerns and when people want themselves or their  
> languages referred to in certain ways, even when the reference is  
> in another language, I prefer to honor that.
>
> Ultimately, it boils down to usage: the complex social negotiation  
> that is worked out among users of a language as to what words they  
> want to use.  No one can regulate this, no matter how they try.
>
> Albert
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Dan Parvaz
> To: A list for linguists interested in signed languages
> Sent: September 5, 2007 11:58 AM
> Subject: Re: [SLLING-L] SL and other codes: in passing: Russian
>
> Hm. And Arabic "Namsa" means Austria. But doesn't the original  
> point remain? Namely, that No one is bound by the internal name for  
> a language/country/whatever. Using the autochthonous sign for a  
> country seems to be an American -- and specifically, a Gallaudetian  
> -- PC obsession.
>
> -Dan.
> _______________________________________________
> SLLING-L mailing list
> SLLING-L at majordomo.valenciacc.edu
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