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Linguistics Encyclopedia.pdf

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407–8) can be applied to BSL signs too, as Deuchar (1984, p. 54) demonstrates: the sign<br />

for I in BSL is made by the index finger pointing to and touching the chest, and can thus<br />

be described as:<br />

tab: chest<br />

dez: index finger extended from closed fist<br />

sig: contact with tab<br />

The sign for THINK in BSL is made by the index finger pointing to the forehead, so it<br />

can be described as:<br />

tab: forehead<br />

dez: index finger extended from closed fist<br />

sig: contact with tab<br />

This shows the signs I and THINK to be minimal pairs: they differ only on one<br />

parameter, tab. Similarly, THINK and KNOW are minimal pairs differing only in dez,<br />

and KNOW and CLEVER are minimal pairs which contrast in sig (ibid., p. 55):<br />

KNOW CLEVER<br />

tab: forehead forehead<br />

dez: thumb extended from closed fist thumb extended from closed fist<br />

sig: contact with tab movement from right to left in contact with tab<br />

For BSL, the following symbols for tab, dez and sig have been added to Stokoe et al.’s<br />

(1976) (see above, pp. 407–8):<br />

Tab<br />

top of head eyes<br />

mouth/lips<br />

upper trunk<br />

Dez<br />

middle finger extended from fist<br />

Sig<br />

The linguistics encyclopedia 554<br />

ear<br />

lower trunk<br />

crumbling action ø no movement<br />

(Deuchar, 1984, p. 604)<br />

(ibid., p. 64)<br />

(ibid., pp. 69–70)

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