This article is a critical review of a book by Sir William Wilde (better known as the father of Oscar Wilde) entitled "On the Physical, Moral, and Social Condition of the Deaf and Dumb" (1854). This book, which is based on the demographic and medical information that he collected from "deaf and dumb" people in the early 1850s,…

This study focuses on the practice of simultaneous co-interpreting in the media, specifically examining the interaction between a hearing interpreter (HI) and a deaf interpreter (DI). The HI's role in this context is to interpret the spoken source speech in Belgian French into French Belgian Sign Language (LSFB) for the DI, who, in turn, conveys…

Several sign languages of the world utilize a construction that consists of a question followed by an answer, both of which are produced by the same signer. For American Sign Language, this construction has been analyzed as a discourse-level rhetorical question construction (Hoza et al. 1997), as a single-sentence question-answer pair (Caponigro…

This article presents an analysis of the relationship between sign structure and iconicity in American Sign Language. Historically, linguists have been pressured to downplay the role of form-meaning relationships (iconicity) in signed languages. However, recent inquiries into the role of traditional phonological parameters of signs (handshape,…

This article contains a literature review of evidence of large prosodic domains that correspond to syntactic units such as a clause or a sentence. In particular, different phonetic nonmanual cues that may relate to clause or sentence boundaries are discussed in detail. On the basis of various ideas and views in the literature, we also describe two…

A review of the research about languages, modes of expression, and usage rules and related cultural, linguistic, physiological, and sociopolitical issues concludes that more research is needed before any one method of communication can be recommended above others for the effective education of deaf children. (134 references) (CB)

Provides an overview of the development of the "Gallaudet Dictionary of American Sign Language." Discusses obstacles faced in making the dictionary. (Author/VWL)

Points out the distinctions between descriptive and arbitrary systems for assigning name signs in American Sign Language, focusing on the linguistic properties and social factors of the arbitrary system. It is argued that, although both systems provide primary name signs for deaf children, only the arbitrary system is native. (Author/CB)

This article on motivation in the form of signs focuses on the following: the nature of sign forms; iconic motivation; memorability; Ludic motivation; taxonomic motivation; and dimensions of information. (JL)

Describes the process of the standardization of the basic lexicon of the sign lexicon of the Netherlands (SLN) and the different types of dictionaries that were produced. (Author/VWL)

A new deaf poetics has emerged, characterized by the focus on the centrality of the image in both American Sign Language (ASL) poems and in the international poetry community. A series of performances by ASL poets and other activities linking poets have provided new data to support the universal, i.e., poetic, phase through which language…

Explores the active role of the sign language interpreter in resolving simultaneous and overlapping speech, guided by social and linguistic knowledge of the entire communicative situation in making linguistic choices about what to interpret. (29 references) (Author/CB)

George Veditz's "The Preservation of the Sign Language" was a popular film about the deaf language. Sixty five years later, in 1977, Veditz's film was retrieved and screened at the opening of a conference on the research and teaching of American Sign Language. Despite the age and the condition of the film, the screening held the audience…

Explores the role and status of hearing people within the Deaf community, in particular sign language interpreters. Indicates that hearing people and sign language interpreters in particular can become members of the Deaf community. (Author/VWL)

Exploration of two sign languages independently employed by two isolated deaf signers in a single northern India village found that both languages included such negative structure elements as context-dependence, multichannels, and nondiscrete, ambiguous signs. One signer, strongly embedded in close relationships that formed a tiny speech…