Language from the Body: Iconicity and Metaphor in American Sign Language

by Sarah F. Taub

• ISBN13: 9780521770620
• ISBN10: 0521770629
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-02-26
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

What is the role of meaning in linguistic theory? Generative linguists have severely limited the influence of meaning, claiming that language is not affected by other cognitive processes and that semantics does not influence linguistic form. Conversely, cognitivist and functionalist linguists believe that meaning pervades and motivates all levels of linguistic structure. This dispute can now be resolved conclusively by evidence from signed languages. Signed languages are full of iconic linguistic items: words, inflections, and even syntactic constructions with structural similarities between their physical form and their referents' form. Iconic items can have concrete meanings and also abstract meanings through conceptual metaphors. Language from the Body rebuts the generativist linguistic theories which separate form and meaning and asserts that iconicity can only be described in a cognitivist framework where meaning can influence form.

Table of Contents

List of Figures	xi
Acknowledgements	xv
A Glimpse of the Material	1	(7)
The Abundance of Visual Imagery in American Sign Language	1	(1)
The sign Is Not Always Arbitrary	2	(1)
Metaphor Lets Iconic Signs Have Abstract Meanings	3	(2)
Conceptual Mappings Explain Iconicity and Metaphor	5	(1)
Mappings and Linguistic Theory	5	(1)
A Preview of the Book	6	(2)
Motivation and Linguistic Theory	8	(11)
Arbitrary, Predictable ... or Motivated?	8	(2)
The Goals of Linguistic Theory	10	(3)
Cognitive Linguistics	13	(6)
Iconicity Defined and Demonstrated	19	(24)
Iconicity and Resemblance Defined	19	(4)
Examples of Spoken-Language Iconicity	23	(3)
Examples of Signed-Language Iconicity	26	(9)
Approaches to Iconicity in Linguistic Theory	35	(8)
The Analogue-Building Model of Linguistic Iconicity	43	(20)
The Analogue-Building Model	43	(8)
Image Selection	45	(1)
Schematization	46	(1)
Encoding	47	(4)
Additional Demonstrations of the Model	51	(4)
Iconicity and Mime Compared	55	(5)
Implications of the Analogue-Building Model	60	(3)
Survey of Iconicity in Signed and Spoken Languages	63	(31)
Introduction	63	(1)
Iconicity in Spoken Languages	64	(2)
Relation between Concept and Image in Spoken-Language Iconicity	66	(1)
Iconic Devices in Signed Languages	67	(23)
Physical Entities Represent Themselves	67	(1)
Shape of Articulators Represents Shape of Referent	68	(2)
Movement of Articulators Represents Movement of Referent	70	(2)
A Special Set of Patterns: Representation of Body Parts	72	(5)
Shape of Articulators' Path Represents Shape of Referent	77	(2)
Locations in Signing Space Represent Locations in Mental Spaces	79	(4)
Size of Articulation Represents Size of Referent	83	(2)
Number of Articulators Represents Number of Referents	85	(2)
Temporal Orderning of Signing Represents Temporal Ordering of Events	87	(1)
Signing Represents Signing	88	(2)
Relation between Concept and Image in Signed-Language Iconicity	90	(2)
Conclusion: One Phenomenon, Many Manifestations	92	(2)
Metaphor in American Sign Language: The Double Mapping	94	(20)
Conceptual Metaphor Theory	94	(2)
The Double Mapping of American Sign Language Metaphorical Signs	96	(13)
Communicating is Sending in American Sign Language	98	(7)
Topics are Locations	105	(4)
Analogue-Building Model of Metaphorical Iconicity	109	(4)
Summary	113	(1)
Many Metaphors in a Single Sign	114	(24)
Single-Parameter Metaphors	114	(11)
The Future is Ahead	115	(3)
Intimacy is Proximity	118	(4)
Intensity is Quantity	122	(3)
Multiple Metaphorical Parameters in a Single Sign	125	(10)
Metaphorical Iconicity and Pure Iconicity in a Single Sign	135	(2)
Summary	137	(1)
The Vertical Scale as Source Domain	138	(21)
Multiple Uses of a Single Source Domain	138	(19)
More is up	139	(6)
Good is up	145	(4)
Powerful is up	149	(4)
Analysis is Digging	153	(4)
Different Motivations for Different Users	157	(2)
Verb Agreement Paths in American Sign Language	159	(37)
American Sign Language Verb Agreement	159	(1)
The Semantics of Verbs	160	(2)
How American Sign Language Verbs Move through Signing Space	162	(5)
Semantic and Phonological Basis for American Sign Language's Verb Classes	167	(2)
Direction of Movement: Paths in Signing Space	169	(22)
Defeat: The Action-China Path	170	(2)
Give: Literal and Action-Chain Paths Aligned	172	(2)
Inform: Metaphorical and Action-Chain Paths Aligned	174	(1)
Take: Literal and Action-Chain Paths in Conflict	175	(1)
Quote: Metaphorical and Action-Chain Paths in Conflict	176	(2)
Borrow: Two Literal Paths	178	(2)
Ask: Two Metaphorical Paths	180	(2)
Invite: Profiled Metaphorical Path, Backgrounded Literal Path	182	(2)
Pay and Sell: Two Equally Asserted Literal Paths	184	(2)
Discuss: Completely Balanced Paths	186	(1)
Look and Perceive-By-Eyes: EXP and Theme Arguments	187	(4)
A Model of Verb Agreement Paths	191	(3)
Verb Agreement Is Predictable	194	(2)
Complex Superposition of Metaphors in an American Sign Language Poem	196	(26)
Metaphor and Poetry	196	(2)
Stages of ``The Treasure''	198	(10)
Introduction: Signing Is ``Underground''	199	(1)
Poet Begins Her Analysis	200	(2)
Gleaming Treasure Uncovered	202	(1)
Poet Attempts to Communicate with Those on the Surface	203	(3)
Treasure Completely Reburied	206	(2)
Coda: Treasure is Still Alive	208	(1)
Metaphorical Composites in ``The Treasure''	208	(12)
The First Framing: Linguistic Analysis is Archeology	209	(5)
The Central Episode: Discovering the Treasure	214	(1)
The Second Framing: Oppression is Burial	215	(5)
Summary	220	(2)
The Future of Signed-Language Research	222	(10)
Our Past	222	(1)
Our Challenge	223	(4)
The Importance of Iconicity and Metaphor	227	(1)
A Note on ``Loss of Iconicity''	228	(2)
Our Future	230	(2)
Appendix 1: Glossing Conventions	232	(2)
Appendix 2: Translation of ``The Treasure''	234	(5)
References	239	(10)
Index	249