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Lexical representation and access in sign languages

The focus of this chapter is on how signed words are processed in relation to spoken ones, and whether the profound differences in how the two word types are articulated and perceived affect these processes. The form of words in sign languages, signs, is characterized by an architecture identical to that of spoken words, namely coordinated patterning between two language levels, meaning and articulatory patterning. The lexical architecture of sign differentiates it from that of gesture, which lacks this coordinated, bi-level linguistic structure. The patterning of sign phonology arises from the fine motor patterns of the fingers with the larger ones of the arms, torso, and head. Children’s lexical acquisition reveals how their analytic skills in phonological and morphological acquisition are tied to their early control of the visual field for inter-personal communication. Adult sign access and processing are governed by lexical structure and significantly modulated by prior linguistic experience.