Directional Verbs

[Kathy H.]

> OK, {Susan}, if what you said is true, why don't they compare spoken
> languages to sign languages rather than vice versa?
 
Because most linguists who study spoken languages have not studied sign language linguistics.  
 
It makes sense to compare signed languages to spoken languages because we already have a history of spoken language linguistics.  We do not need to reinvent the wheel, so to speak. 
 
On the other hand, it is also important to study signed languages within their own modality, both to know the ways that signed languages are unique, with their modality-specific articulations, and to learn about universals that cross modalities, something that cannot be shown by studying only spoken languages or only signed languages.
 
Kathy H. 

 

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