Article published in:
Language Variation - European Perspectives V: Selected papers from the Seventh International Conference on Language Variation in Europe (ICLaVE 7), Trondheim, June 2013
Edited by Eivind Torgersen, Stian Hårstad, Brit Mæhlum and Unn Røyneland
[Studies in Language Variation 17] 2015
► pp. 145–156

Variation in wh-questions in Icelandic Sign Language

This paper discusses age-related variation in wh-questions in Icelandic Sign Language (ÍTM) with respect to Verb Second (V2) in wh-questions, a word order borrowed from spoken Icelandic. Our data show that V2 in wh-questions is largely restricted to the speech of young speakers of ÍTM. We hypothesize that this is because they received education in elementary school through contact signing or the use of ÍTM and this gave them a solid base in written Icelandic. As a result, their speech is more influenced by Icelandic than the speech of older generations who received their primary education during the time of oralism when the use of sign language in the classroom was suppressed.

Keywords: age-related variation, Icelandic Sign Language, verb second, wh-questions
Published online: 09 April 2015
https://doi.org/10.1075/silv.17.11jon
References
Aldersson, Russell R., and Lisa J. McEntee-Atalianis
2008 “A Lexical Comparison of Signs from Icelandic and Danish Sign Languages.” Sign Language Studies 9: 45–87. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Brynjólfsdóttir, Elísa G., and Kristín L. Thorvaldsdóttir
2014 Að tengja saman epli og appelsínur. Aðaltengingar í íslenska táknmálinu. [Connecting apples and oranges. Conjunctions in Icelandic Sign Language.] Unpublished ms., University of Iceland.Google Scholar
Brynjólfsdóttir, Elísa G., Jóhannes G. Jónsson, Kristín L. Thorvaldsdóttir, and Rannveig Sverrisdóttir
2012 “Málfræði íslenska táknmálsins.” [The grammar of Icelandic Sign Language.] Íslenskt mál og almenn málfræði 34: 9–48.Google Scholar
Brynjólfsdóttir, Elísa G
2012 Hvað gerðir þú við peningana sem frúin í Hamborg gaf þér? Myndun hv-spurninga í íslenska táknmálinu. [The Structure of Wh-questions in Icelandic Sign Language.] MA thesis, University of Iceland, Reykjavík.
Cecchetto, Carlo
2012 “Sentence Types.” In Sign Language: An International Handbook, ed. by Roland Pfau, Markus Steinback, and Bencie Wall, 292–315. Berlin/Boston: Mouton de Gruyter. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Dryer, Matthew S
2009 “Position of Interrogative Phrases in Content Questions.” In The World Atlas of Language Structures Online, ed. by Martin Haspelmath, Matthew S. Dryer, David Gil, and Bernhard Comrie, chapter 92 [http://​wals​.info​/feature​/92]. Munich: Max Planck Digital Library.Google Scholar
Lucas, Ceil, Robert Bayley, Clayton Valli, Mary Rose, and Alyssa Wulf
2001 “Sociolinguistic Variation.” In The Sociolinguistics of Sign Languages, ed. by Ceil Lucas, 61–111. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Neidle, Carol, Judy Kegl, Dawn MacLaughlin, Benjamin Bahan, and Robert G. Lee
2000 The Syntax of American Sign Language: Functional Categories and Hierarchical Structure. Cambrigde, MA: MIT Press.Google Scholar
Nunes, Jairo, and Ronice Müller de Quadros
2005 “Duplication of WH-elements in Brazilian Sign Language.” In Proceedings from the 35th North East Linguistic Society, ed. by Leah Bateman, and Cherlon Ussery, 463–477.Google Scholar
Petronio, Karen
1993 Clause Structure in ASL. Doctoral dissertation, University of Washington.
Petronio, Karen, and Diane Lillo-Martin
1997 “WH-movement and the Position of Spec-CP. Evidence from American Sign Language.” Language 73: 18–57. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Rizzi, Luigi
1997 “The Fine Structure of the Left Periphery.” In Elements of grammar: A Handbook of Generative Syntax, ed. by Liliane Haegeman, 281–337. Dordrecht: Kluwer. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Sigurbjörnsdóttir, Kristbjörg Helga
2011 Um kynslóðamun í íslensku táknmáli. Rannsókn á kynslóðabundnum málfarsmun í íslensku táknmáli. [Age-related differences among speakers of ÍTM.] BA thesis, University of Iceland, Reykjavík.
Stefánsdóttir, Valgerður
2005 Málsamfélag heyrnarlausra. Um samskipti á milli táknmálstalandi og íslenskutalandi fólks. [The community of deaf speakers. Interactions between signers and those who speak Icelandic.] MA thesis, University of Iceland, Reykjavík.
Sverrisdóttir, Rannveig, and Kristín L. Thorvaldsdóttir
To appear. “Why is the SKY BLUE? On Colour Signs in Icelandic Sign Language.” In Semantic fields in sign languages ed. by Ulrike Zeshan, and Keiko Sagara Berlin/Nijmegen Mouton de Gruyter/Ishara Press
Van Herreweghe, Mieke, and Myriam Vermeerbergen
2012 “Data Collection.” In Sign Language: An International Handbook, ed. by Roland Pfau, Markus Steinback, and Bencie Wall, 1023–1045. Berlin/Boston: Mouton de Gruyter. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Thorvaldsson, Reynir Berg
2010 Saga heyrnarlausra á Íslandi. [The history of deaf people in Iceland.] Reykjavík: Félag heyrnarlausra.Google Scholar