SV: [SLLING-L] use of sign language in Jordan

[Sonja Erlenkamp]

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Fra: slling-l-bounces at majordomo.valenciacc.edu på vegne av GerardM
Sendt: to 27.09.2007 08:51
Til: Albert Bickford; A list for linguists interested in signed languages
Emne: Re: [SLLING-L] use of sign language in Jordan


>Hoi,
>I always love it when people insist that words have another meaning because of it being officially something >else. The consequence of giving a word a different meaning from what everybody else understands by it >means by it is that communication breaks down. 

I don't agree at all. It just means that experts do have their own terminology which is - and has to be - more complex that that of non-experts. And actually I wouldn't necessarily trust Wikipedia to give me explanations on expert terminology.
If we want to be able to analyze languages at all, we need these kind of differentiated terminology. Sign language "phonology" is different to spoken language phonology, amongst others because of its higher degree of simultaneity, its visual articulators and last but nor least the vast extend it makes use of iconicity already on the level og handshapes, handorientations, movements and so on. 
 
Iconicity is not captured in alphabetic system, but could be in for example a logographic system. Wether or not Signwriting is one or the other or something different is not to me to decide, since I haven't worked enough with SignWriting, BUT the distinction between alphabetic systems and the others mentioned IS important to those people working on for example the development of writing systems for SLs.
 
best regards
 
Sonja Erlenkamp
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