ASL Linguistics Flashcards

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and figures in ASL linguistics.

William Stokoe

Professor of English at Gallaudet University who co-authored A dictionary of American Sign Language on linguistic principles.

Parameters of ASL

The fundamental components of a sign, including handshape, location, movement, and orientation of the palm.

Ursula Bellugi

Child language acquisition researcher who co-authored The Signs of Language.

Carol Padden

Studied under Stokoe, researched Deaf culture, and studied conditionals in ASL.

Deaf Culture

Cultural norms and values within the Deaf community.

Conditionals in ASL

Statements expressing an 'if…then…' relationship.

Ted Supalla

Researched nouns and verbs in ASL.

Noun/Verb Pairs in ASL

Pairs of signs, like 'chair/sit,' that share the same form but have different movements.

Nancy Frishberg

Researched the historical linguistics of ASL.

Loss of Iconicity/Historical Tightening

The evolution of signs over time, including changes in iconicity and signing space.

Robbin Battison

Identified 'orientation of palm' as the 4th parameter of ASL signs.

Loan Signs in ASL

Signs borrowed from other languages and incorporated into ASL.

Charlotte Baker-Shenk

Sociolinguist who researched how ASL is used in conversation, especially turn-taking.

Turn-taking in ASL

Methods used to signal when a speaker is finished and another can begin speaking; includes eye contact, wave, drop hands, and closed circle.

Andrew Foster

First Deaf Black man to earn a BA from Gallaudet and establish Deaf schools in Africa.

Carolyn McCaskill

Co-authored The Hidden Treasures of Black ASL: Its History and Structure.

James “Woody” Woodward

Social linguist who wrote 'Signs of Sexual Behaviors'.

Lou Fant

Actor and ASL consultant.

CODA/Ameslan

Child of Deaf Adult; also another name for American Sign Language