ON THE ICONICITY OF THE Y-HANDSHAPE

As part of a two-year research project, the study examines the diagrammatic iconicity of the Y-handshape of two non-cognate sign languages; the American Sign Language and Greek Sign Language. In a sample of sixty-four signs, and through a close reading approach, it demonstrates the association of the specific handshape with real-world referents that have simultaneously a round and angular form (e.g. cylinder, cone), or only an angular/linear shape. It also shows its historic association with the ancient traditional sign mano cornuta , addressing its metonymy in meanings relating to quantity, earth, life, loss, light and cavity.

Y-handshape; mano cornuta; iconicity; American Sign Language; Greek Sign Language

Authorship

Maria MERTZANI

Universidade Federal de Pelotas (UFPEL), Centro de Letras e Comunicação, Pelotas – Rio Grande do Sul – Brasil. maria.d.mertzani@gmail.com.Universidade Federal de Pelotas (UFPEL), Centro de Letras e Comunicação, Pelotas – Rio Grande do Sul – Brasil. maria.d.mertzani@gmail.com.BrasilBrasilUniversidade Federal de Pelotas (UFPEL), Centro de Letras e Comunicação, Pelotas – Rio Grande do Sul – Brasil. maria.d.mertzani@gmail.com.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4617-9144

SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Figures | Tables

Figures (14)
Tables (4)

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Figure 1
– The analogue building model for the sign COW. ¹ 1 In both SLs, the sign COW is also two-handed, usually though is executed as one-handed. In GSL, it is also a compound by the signs HORN (articulated with the Y-handshape) and MILK (articulated with the S-handshape), describing the head of the animal and its milking.

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Figure 2
– The analogue building model for the ASL HIPPOPOTAMUS and RHINOCEROS ² 2 In HIPPOPOTAMUS, the fingers of the Y-handshape match the animal’s protruding teeth.

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Figure 3
– The analogue building model for the GSL ATHENS.

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Figure 4
– The etymology of the ASL COUNTRY ⁶ 6 The sign originates from the French CAMPAIGNE (countryside), which is exactly the same in GSL for HARVEST, FIELD, and FARMER.

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Figure 5
– Examples of the Y-handshape in the community domain ⁷ 7 The closeness of the handshape indicates a centripetal direction toward the user, and on the head (e.g. holding the spoon for feeding for the sign MOTHER). The Y-handshape, is phonologically more open than the A-handshape, denoting a direction away from self, and faction.

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Figure 6
– The signs SHAVE in ASL and GSL ⁸ 8 In GSL, the A-handshape is used when the sign refers to the shaving machine. When the signing refers to the razor of the image, the Y-handshape is used.

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Figure 7
– The Y-handshape in the sign THURSDAY

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Figure 8
– The Y-handshape in the domain light and colours

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Figure 9
– Examples of Y-handshape use in the domains ‘loss/hurt’ and ‘quantity, measurement and time’

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Figure 10
– The Y-handshape in the ASL ANTAGONISTIC and its synonyms

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Figure 11
– The Y-handshape in the sign IMPOSSIBLE

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Figure 12
– The association of PLAY with sistrum

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Figure 13
– Signs produced by the Y-handshape as mano cornuta

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Figure 14
– Summary of the Y-handshape in the semantic domains

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SINAIS DE ASL SINAIS DE GSL AH-EU-VEJO VACA AMARELO IMPOSSÍVEL FICAR, PERMANECER, AINDA AVIÃO EU-TAMBÉM, EM-COMUM, MESMO, SIMILAR SOBRINHO VACA, TOURO DAR-UM-PASSEIO BÊBADO ENTRETENIMENTO LOIRO ANIMAIS TELEFONE AZUL HOLANDA, HOLANDÊS PRIMO BOBO, ABSURDO, LOUCURA, TOLO, RIDÍCULO JOGO, BRINCAR PENDURAR-SE-POR-CORDA QUINTA-FEIRA BARBEAR CACHIMBO ERRO, ERRADO NUNCA ONTEM POUSAR (AVIÃO) AQUELE PARENTES IMPOSSÍVEL BANHEIRO, WC HIPOPÓTAMO AINDA PASSAR-ROUPA ETERNIDADE, CONTINUAMENTE MEDIR TRICOTAR NOVA-YORK TOURO RINOCERONTE ESPANHA METRÔ JUNHO PORQUE LENTO JOGAR PASSEIO AGORA, PRESENTEMENTE ATENAS CONTRÁRIO, ANTAGÔNICO, CABEÇA-DURA, RABUGENTO MAMÍFEROS MEDIDA, RÉGUA, TAMANHO PRESA AINDA-ASSIM, AINDA BEGE UNIFORME, UNIVERSAL HUMOROSO, CÔMICO ELABORAÇÃO, ENGENHARIA GORDO, OBESO PAÍS PALAVRA-GRANDE JURAR, AMALDIÇOAR HOJE

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Table 1
– ASL meanings and their frequency.

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Table 2
– GSL meanings and their frequency.

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ASL SIGNS GSL SIGNS OH-I-SEE COW YELLOW IMPOSSIBLE STAY, REMAIN, STILL AIRPLANE ME-TOO, IN-COMMON, SAME, SIMILAR NEPHEW COW, BULL TAKE-A-WALK DRUNK ENTERTAINMENT BLOND ANIMALS TELEPHONE BLUE HOLLAND, DUTCH, THE-NETHERLANDS COUSIN SILLY, ABSURD, FOLLY, FOOLISH, RIDICULOUS PLAY, TO-PLAY HANG-BY-A-ROPE THURSDAY SHAVE PIPE ERROR, WRONG NEVER YESTERDAY TO-LAND (airplane) THAT-ONE, THAT RELATIVES IMPOSSIBLE TOILET, WC HIPPOPOTAMUS STILL, YET IRON-CLOTHES ETERNITY, CONTINUOUSLY MEASURE TO-KNIT NEW-YORK BULL RHINOCEROS SPAIN SUBWAY JUNE WHY SLOW PLAY WALK (to-take-a-walk) NOW, PRESENTLY ATHENS CONTRARY, ANTAGONISTIC, BULLHEADED, CANTANKEROUS MAMMALS MEASURE, RULER, SIZE PREY STILL, YET BEIGE UNIFORM, UNIVERSAL humorous, comical drafting, engineering fat, obese country big-word swear, curse today