Is Sign Language a Language?

[clostran at MAILBOX.SYR.EDU]

I use "signed languages" to refer to languages for which the original
or primary mode of communication is signs, and for which the primary
or original phonology is signs. As you point out, this is a parallel
with "spoken languages", when it means "languages that are primarily
or originally spoken, whether or not they have an orthographic
(written) or other coded representation".

I use "sign language" to mean "communication in a signed
language", which parallels in some sense the term "spoken language"
when it means "communication (via speech) in a spoken language". In
other words, when people are talking about communicating in an ordinary
sense, perhaps with no understanding of the complexity of language or
without thinking about whether or not there are more languages than the
one(s) they know, I expect them to talk about "sign language".

But a person who refers to a "signed language", clearly understands
that there are many languages based on a signed phonology; that they
really are languages; that they don't just represent spoken language,
etc.

That's just my understanding.
Carolyn Ostrander
clostran at syr.edu


>Geoffrey Hunt wrote:
>
> For any substantive argument on usage of the two alternatives I would
> have to defer to others.  You may be right in what you say in your
> second paragraph, I just do not know.  Personally, I prefer 'signed
> language' as it parallels more clearly with 'spoken language' ('sign
> language' would parallel 'speech language').
>
> Geoffrey
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: For the discussion of linguistics and signed languages.
> [mailto:SLLING-L at ADMIN.HUMBERC.ON.CA]On Behalf Of Philocophus
> Sent: Saturday, May 03, 2003 12:24 PM
> To: SLLING-L at ADMIN.HUMBERC.ON.CA
> Subject: Re: Is Sign Language a Language?
>
> I thank you for your response, but have one small query. Is there a
> difference between the terms "sign language" and "signed language"
> which you use? If so, what is the difference from a linguist's
> persective?
>
> I thought "signed language" referd to something like "signed English"
> whereas "sign language" refers to the sign language as used by the
> Deaf. Imay be wrong.
>
> Raymond Lee
>