Stoianov & Nevins (2018) – The phonology of handshape distribution in Maxakalí sign

The phonology of handshape distribution in Maxakalí sign
Diane Stoianov, Andrew Ira Nevins
direct link: http://ling.auf.net/lingbuzz/004089
January 2018
We provide an analysis of the distribution of handshapes on the dominant and non-dominant hand in the incipient village sign language found in the Maxakalí community in Brazil. The most frequent handshapes reflect tendencies in choosing from the crosslinguistically unmarked set of handshapes, and are particularly well-suited to quantitative analyses of handshape complexity found in models such as Ann (2006) and Brentari (2003), in addition to favouring a core set chosen from the most maximally dispersed handshapes.

Format: [ pdf ]
Reference: lingbuzz/004089
(please use that when you cite this article)
Published in: In ‘Sonic Signatures’ (Lindsey & Nevins eds) 2018
keywords: village sign language, handshape complexity, sign language phonology, markedness, non-dominant hand, phonology