External phonological change

[Susan Fischer]

This is a [hearing]  gesture used in France to mean "I don't believe you";
it may be fairly widespread in Europe and may indeed be the source of the
ASL sign NOT (displacing from the teeth to the chin).
SDF

"G Sapountzaki, Deaf Studies" wrote:

> No refs about research on Greek SL phonology (yet!).
>
> More than once during conversations in Athens, Greece, I was informed
> about a GSL negation marker that is now almost extinct. It involves of
> the thumb of the dominant hand being inserted and then strongly drawn
> away from under the upper front teeth. The Deaf people I was discussing
> the matter said that it is a strong and clearcut sign that
> unfortunately cannot be used by young Deaf anymore because of behaviour
> codes today.
>
> Galini
>
> On Tue, 5 Feb 2002 14:35:21 +0000 "Adam Schembri, Deaf Studies"
> <Adam.Schembri at BRISTOL.AC.UK> wrote:
>
> > I have seen a number of studies that discuss phonological change in
> > signed languages due to language internal factors (e.g., physiological
> > factors, such as the constraints of production and perception). Is
> > anyone aware of papers that discuss phonological changes in signed
> > languages due to language external (e.g., social) factors?
> >
> > In BSL (British Sign Language), a small number of signs appeared to
> > be experiencing a change in hand configuration due to social factors.
> > Traditional variants of signs such as HOLIDAY or MOCK used a
> > handshape with only the middle finger extended. Due to the perception
> > that this handshape is considered impolite, some signers have
> > replaced the hand configuration in these signs with a G handshape.
> > This appears to have happened quite recently, and quite consciously
> > amongst sign language teachers in particular, perhaps due to contact
> > with hearing students. This change has not yet spread to the related
> > sign language Auslan (Australian Sign Language), where all signers
> > continue to make liberal use of the middle finger extended handshape
> > in signs such as HOLIDAY, STUBBORN, SILLY, LAZY, BETRAY, AVAILABLE
> > and ROCKET.
> >
> > Anyone aware of anything similar in other signed languages? And any
> > references which discuss this?
> >
> > 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
> >
>
> ----------------------
> G Sapountzaki, Deaf Studies
> Galini.Sapountzaki at bristol.ac.uk

--
Susan Fischer                                e-mail: fischer at mail.rit.edu
NTID/RIT  HLC-2420                   phone: 1-716-475-6558 (v/TTY)
Dept. Of  Research                        fax: 1-716-475-7101
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