Irish Sign Language: A Cognitive Linguistic Approach - Hardcover

Lorraine Leeson; John I. Saeed

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0748638237 ISBN 13: 9780748638239

Publisher: Edinburgh University Press, 2012

Synopsis

As the only book of its kind, this book describes the social and historical background of this signed language and places Irish Sign Language in a world context. The Signs of Ireland corpus is used to introduce phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics. It also examines the key influences driving signed language linguistics in the past decade, including: recognition of the role of gesture; the influence of cognitive linguistics; the complexities of iconic representation in signing space; the role of simultaneous construction; and the grammar of ISL. All examples listed are drawn from the Signs of Ireland corpus, one of the largest digital corpora of a signed language in Europe, and are included on the accompanying DVD. An essential resource for sign language teachers and interpreters, students of sign linguistics, and learners of ISL in Ireland, this book offers new insights into the role of gesture, spatial models, iconicity, metaphor, and metonymy in ISL grammar, vocabulary and discourse.

About this title

About the Author

Lorraine Leeson is Director of the Centre for Deaf Studies at Trinity College Dublin. John I. Saeed is Associate Professor of Linguistics in the School of Linguistic, Speech and Communication Sciences, Trinity College Dublin.

From the Back Cover

ENDORSEMENTS TO FOLLOW

The first comprehensive empirically-driven description of Irish Sign Language (ISL), this book traces the social and historical background of ISL and sets it within the research tradition of the world's signed languages. It provides an accessible introduction to the phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics of ISL.

It also examines the key influences driving signed language linguistics in the past decade, including: recognition of the role of gesture; the influence of cognitive linguistics; the complexities of iconic representation in signing space; the role of simultaneous construction; and the grammar of ISL. All examples listed are drawn from the Signs of Ireland corpus, one of the largest digital corpora of a signed language in Europe, and are included on the accompanying DVD.

An essential resource for sign language teachers and interpreters, students of sign linguistics, and learners of ISL in Ireland, this book offers new insights into the role of gesture, spatial models, iconicity, metaphor, and metonymy in ISL grammar, vocabulary and discourse.

Lorraine Leeson is Associate Professor in Deaf Studies and Director of the Centre for Deaf Studies at Trinity College Dublin.

John I. Saeed is Professor of Linguistics and Head of the School of Linguistic, Speech and Communication Sciences at Trinity College Dublin.

The first comprehensive empirically-driven description of Irish Sign Language (ISL), this book traces the social and historical background of ISL and sets it within the research tradition of the world's signed languages. It provides an accessible introduction to the phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics of ISL.

It also examines the key influences driving signed language linguistics in the past decade, including: recognition of the role of gesture; the influence of cognitive linguistics; the complexities of iconic representation in signing space; the role of simultaneous construction; and the grammar of ISL. All examples listed are drawn from the Signs of Ireland corpus, one of the largest digital corpora of a signed language in Europe, and are included on the accompanying DVD.

An essential resource for sign language teachers and interpreters, students of sign linguistics, and learners of ISL in Ireland, this book offers new insights into the role of gesture, spatial models, iconicity, metaphor, and metonymy in ISL grammar, vocabulary and discourse.

Lorraine Leeson is Associate Professor in Deaf Studies and Director of the Centre for Deaf Studies at Trinity College Dublin.

John I. Saeed is Professor of Linguistics and Head of the School of Linguistic, Speech and Communication Sciences at Trinity College Dublin.

Edition details

• Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0748638237
• ISBN 13: 9780748638239
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 256