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Iconic enrichments: Signs vs. gestures

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 April 2017

Philippe Schlenker
Philippe Schlenker*
Affiliation:
Institut Jean-Nicod (CNRS), F-75005, Paris, France; Department of Linguistics, New York University, New York, NY 10003. philippe.schlenker@gmail.com
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Abstract

Semantic work on sign language iconicity suggests, as do Goldin-Meadow & Brentari (G-M&B) in their target article, that “sign should be compared with speech-plus-gesture, not speech alone” (sect. 7.1). One key question is whether speech-plus-gesture and sign-with-iconicity really display the same expressive resources. This need not be the case, because gestural enrichments are typically not at-issue, whereas iconic enrichments in sign language can often be at-issue. Future research should thus focus on the “projection” properties of different sorts of iconic enrichment in both modalities.

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Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 40 , 2017 , e71
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

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