The Size of Signing Space

Chapter 7 The size of signing space Research on a broad range of DCSLs suggests, that the signs are articulated on or in front of the body, in the area between the waist and the head. This area is called “signing space” (Klima & Bellugi, 1979, p. 51) and is typically extended vertically from the waist to the space above the signer’s head and transversely from elbow to elbow when both arms are kept loosely bent as depicted in Figure 50. Figure 50. Signing space in DCSLs Shared sign languages, on the other hand, are known to extend beyond signing space described above and use a much larger signing space (Nyst, 2012). The signing space in sign languages such as Enga Sign Language, Urubú Kaapor Sign Language, Konchri Sain, Adamorobe Sign Language and Kata Kolok may extend to the whole body of the signer88 (Kendon, 1980; Ferreira- Brito, 1984; Dolman, 1986; Nyst, 2007; Marsaja, 2008; De Vos, 2012). In AdaSL there are signs which are articulated on the foot (insult), the thigh (summon, trousers) and at the back (younger-sibling) (Nyst, 2007). In KK, signs may also be performed below the waist or behind the body. The sign injection is, for example, articulated on the buttocks, and the sign offspring on the crotch (Marsaja, 2008). This is not the case in any reported DCSL, in which the body parts that are lower than the waist do not normally function as locations for signs. YSL patterns with other documented shared sign languages in the size of the signing space and a proliferation of locations. Moreover, YSL signers appear to use the entire body as possible places of sign articulation. The ease 124 The size of signing space of articulation of signs in some locations such as the foot can be explained by the fact that YSL signers normally converse and preferred to be filmed seated, generally cross-legged on the ground, in contrast to the standing posi- tion frequently seen in formal recordings of other (Deaf community) sign languages. Consider the YSL sign yapa ‘sister’ in Figure 51. This sign is articulated by touching the lower leg while sitting cross-legged on the ground or standing as also seen in Figure 51. Figure 51. YSL sign yapa ‘sister’ The sign märi ‘mother’s mother’ is produced at the back of the signer’s body, whereby the handshape form varies between the à (A) and Blax handshapes (cf. Figure 52). Figure 52. YSL sign märi ‘mother’s mother’89 The size of signing space 125 The back of the signer is most likely used as a place of articulation since the märi-gutharra relation (grandparent-grandchild relations) is referred to by Yolngu as the backbone of Yolngu society (Williams, 1986). Further examples of sign locations below the waist are the kinship signs dhuway ‘husband’ articulated on the hip and bäpa-mukul ‘father’s sister’ produced on the knee90 as depicted in Figure 53. Figure 53. YSL signs dhuway ‘husband’ and bäpa-mukul ‘father’s sister’ Similarly to what has been observed by Nyst (2007) in AdaSL, legs are also found as articulators in the YSL sign football and legs can also serve as places of articulations for signs with meaning ‘foot’ or ‘shoes’ as shown in Figure 54. Overall, the analysis of YSL signs in the database reveals a high degree of “multichannelledness” (Nyst, 2007), i.e. YSL signs are articulated by the hand(s), the arm(s), the leg(s) and the face (see 5.3). Figure 54. Foot as a place of articulation 126 The size of signing space Based on the compiled data, the YSL signing space encompasses the entire periphery of the signer’s body (cf. Figure 55). Figure 55. YSL signing space91 Thus, along with a smaller set of handshapes as discussed in 5.1, YSL appears to be akin to other shared sign language using a larger signing space and a proliferation of locations. .

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