The Evolution of Understanding: Exploring Sign Language Linguistics

By Dewi

Apr 01, 2025

In Linguistics History

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Sign language, a visual-gestural language used by Deaf communities worldwide, has a rich and complex history. The formal study of sign language, known as sign language linguistics, is a relatively recent development, but it has profoundly impacted our understanding of language, cognition, and the Deaf experience. This article delves into the captivating history of sign language linguistics, tracing its origins, key milestones, and ongoing evolution.

Early Observations and Misconceptions About Sign Language

Before the advent of formal sign language linguistics, sign languages were often dismissed as mere pantomime or simplified versions of spoken languages. Many believed that sign languages lacked the grammatical complexity and expressive power of spoken languages. Early educators of Deaf individuals often discouraged or even prohibited the use of sign language, favoring oral methods that aimed to teach Deaf students to speak and lip-read. This perspective, rooted in audism (the belief that hearing is superior to deafness), hindered the recognition and appreciation of sign language as a legitimate linguistic system.

However, even in these early years, astute observers recognized the structured nature of sign communication. Individuals working closely with Deaf communities, such as teachers and missionaries, sometimes documented aspects of sign language grammar and vocabulary. These observations, though often limited and influenced by prevailing biases, laid a foundation for future linguistic inquiry. For example, Charles-Michel de l'Épée, a French priest, established the first public school for the Deaf in Paris in the 18th century. While his methods involved a manually coded form of French, his work contributed to the recognition of sign as a viable means of communication and education. These early attempts to categorize and understand sign languages paved the way for the eventual emergence of sign language linguistics as a distinct field of study.

The Dawn of Modern Sign Language Linguistics: William Stokoe's Groundbreaking Work

The true turning point in the history of sign language linguistics arrived in the mid-20th century with the work of William Stokoe. In 1955, Stokoe, a hearing professor of English at Gallaudet University (the only liberal arts university for the Deaf in the world), began studying American Sign Language (ASL). He challenged the prevailing view that ASL was simply a collection of gestures lacking grammatical structure. Through meticulous observation and analysis, Stokoe demonstrated that ASL possessed its own unique phonological, morphological, and syntactic systems, independent of English.

Stokoe's seminal work, Sign Language Structure: An Outline of the Visual Communication Systems of the American Deaf (1960), revolutionized the understanding of sign language. He identified three basic components of ASL signs – handshape, location, and movement – which he termed