著者

Ritsuko Miyamoto Soya Mori

出版者

Japanese Association of Sign Linguistics

雑誌

手話学研究 (ISSN:18843204)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.24, pp.17-30, 2015-12-01 (Released:2016-12-21)

参考文献数

43

被引用文献数

3

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This study investigates lexicostatistical, phonological and morpho-syntactic features of Kenyan Sign Language (KSL) and compares them with those of ASL. It concludes that evidence shows KSL is not a sister language of ASL for three major reasons. The first reason is that core vocabulary cognates are only 13-22% between the two languages. The second reason is that there are phonological differences, especially those of H2 hand-shape distribution. The third reason is that there are morpho-syntactic differences, such as three arguments and word-order, between the two languages. The findings of the current research project should next be confirmed by comparative research between different sign languages in the area. We could have a newer view of KSL as a language developed with the nativity of signed languages in the whole of eastern Africa.