External phonological change

[Greg & Denise Powell]

I can add that here in NZ the holiday and lazy signs are the same as in Oz.
I have however seen the sign rocket being used here... as well as a rather
graphic sign for Auckland which is meant to indicate the sky tower..... some
use it.... others stay with the older more gentile version of AK
fingerspelt.

Denise
----- Original Message -----
From: "Des Power" <d.power at MAILBOX.GU.EDU.AU>
To: <SLLING-L at ADMIN.HUMBERC.ON.CA>
Sent: Thursday, 7 February 2002 21:08 p.m.
Subject: Re: External phonological change


> >Hello all. Happy New Year!!
>
> Youre right Adam (as usual :-). Those signs are lexical variants. I learnt
> to sign  in Victorian "dialect"  and the signs for lazy and holiday were
> both 5-hand  (plan down and tapped on the hip in the case of lazy). I
didnt
> know the Middle-finger ones till I moved to degenerate Queensland :-( Ive
> never seen the middle-finger version of rocket; Ive always use the g-hand
> for it. Ive certainly had discussions with Deaf people who had picked up
> the Hearing vulgar use of the middle-finger gestrue and felt it wasnt
> suitable for public discourse. :-) Be interesting to know if they still
use
> the middle-finger  vsersion in private.
>
> Des
>
> Pip,
> >
> >Thanks for this message - very interesting stuff!
> >
> >Let me clarify: I am interested in phonological change of the kind
> >I've seen in BSL where the Middle Finger handshape has been
> >systematically replaced in a small set of signs by the G handshape.
> >The examples you mention represent lexical change. The lexical variant
> >you mention for LAZY is not one I have seen widely used in the Sydney
> >deaf community, although the sign HOLIDAY with a 5 handshape does
> >co-exist in Sydney with the variant using a Middle Finger handshape.
> >
> >Nevertheless, you're right to point out that I ought not create the
> >impression that Auslan is not influenced by similar social pressures.
> >I have research data collected from 8 deaf native signers from
> >Melbourne signing with a deaf native signer co-researcher, and the use
> >of the Middle Finger handshape in the sign for ROCKET occurs in this
> >context. I think, however, you've drawn my attention to something
> >I've not been really been aware of - the tendency to avoid the use of
> >signs using the Middle Finger handshape in public discourse. After I
> >read your email, I checked with my partner (who has far more
> >experience interpreting in the public domain in Sydney than I do),
> >and he confirmed that he had avoided or been requested to avoid the
> >use of Middle Finger handshape signs in certain contexts. So, you're
> >definitely on to something there. Perhaps we ought to co-operate on
> >some research when I'm back in Sydney in July!
> >
> >The interesting difference, however, is that these social pressures
> >may be causing some degree of lexical change in Auslan, but appear to
> >have led to some phonological change in BSL.
> >
> >Cheers,
> >Adam
> >
> >----------------------
> >Adam Schembri
> >Centre for Deaf Studies
> >University of Bristol
> >8 Woodland Rd
> >Bristol BS8 1TN
> >United Kingdom
> >Telephone: +44 (0)117 954 6909
> >Textphone: +44 (0)117 954 6920
> >Fax: +44 (0)117 954 6921
> >Email: Adam.Schembri at bristol.ac.uk
> >Website: www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/DeafStudies
> >
> >> I have done no formal research in this particular area, but have
> >> observed an
> >> increasing tendency over the last ten years for many Deaf people (at
> >> least
> >> in the Melbourne Deaf community) to avoid the use of those signs in
> >> Auslan
> >> .......  this process appears to be (as one would expect) at
> >> different stages
> >> with different signs, ranging from a complete shift to (as yet) no
> >> apparent
> >> shift.  HOLIDAY is usually signed with a 5 hs in all contexts, I have
> >> rarely
> >> seen it signed with middle finger hs . There are several signs with
> >> meanings
> >> closely related to SILLY, with the middle-finger extended sign having
> >> semantically deteriorated so that it is now the most pejorative of
> >> these and
> >> is quite marked, no longer considered appropriate for all contexts.
> >> STUBBORN
> >> is hanging in there and is still signed with middle finger hs.  LAZY
> >> has
> >> almost been replaced by another sign (B hs contacting hip twice)
> >> except when
> >> communicating with Deaf-blind people who use tactile signing or have a
> >> limited field of vision.  AVAILABLE seems to be gradually losing
> >> currency,
> >> and some interesting circumlocutions can be observed, particularly in
> >> discourse produced "in public".  Many Deaf people express a
> >> preference for
> >> interpreters also to avoid use of these signs in public.
> >>
> >> pip
> >>
>
>
> Emeritus Professor Des Power