On the Conventionalization of Mouth Actions in Australian Sign Language

Area of Science:

• Linguistics
• Sign Language Studies
• Corpus Linguistics

Background:

• Signed languages were traditionally viewed as solely manual, but non-manual features (body, head, face movements) are crucial.
• Mouth actions in signed languages raise questions about their origin: borrowings from spoken languages, unique linguistic units, or universal gestures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the conventionalization of mouth actions in Australian Sign Language (Auslan).
• To determine the linguistic status of mouth actions in Auslan by analyzing their form and meaning.
• To compare Auslan mouth actions with those in other signed languages.

Main Methods:

• A corpus-based approach was used to collect data from naturalistic Auslan interactions.
• Analysis focused on the occurrence and types of mouth actions during signing.
• Comparisons were made with available data from other signed languages.

Main Results:

• Evidence was gathered on the extent of mouth action use in Auslan.
• The study identified form/meaning pairings instantiated by these mouth actions.
• Initial findings suggest conventionalization of specific mouth actions within Auslan.

Conclusions:

• Mouth actions are integral to Auslan grammar and meaning, not merely borrowings.
• Further research is needed to fully understand the linguistic and cultural roles of mouth actions in signed languages.
• This study contributes to the understanding of non-manual features in signed language linguistics.