Handshape Distribution in Taiwan Sign Language: Reassessing the Role of Ease of Articulation

Abstract: As a core component of signed language phonology, handshapes exhibit a nonrandom, motivated distribution across lexicons and discourse. Ease of articulation has been proposed as a significant factor influencing handshape frequency, but the scope and explanatory force of the Easy and Hard categorization1 presented in Ann (2005) remain to be further explored. This study examines the relationship between ease of articulation, type frequency (lexical distribution), and token frequency (usage in discourse) in Taiwan Sign Language (TSL), using an expanded dataset of 2,000 signs and 1,026 tokens from naturalistic discourse. Statistical analyses revealed strong correlations between ease of articulation and handshape frequency, supporting previous claims that Easy handshapes are more frequent. However, discourse topic also influences token frequency, with certain Easy and Hard handshapes appearing disproportionately in specific contexts. This study further assesses the role of ease of articulation in understanding within-lemma handshape transitions, finding that a featural analysis supplementing the ease of articulation categorization may better capture asymmetrical distribution of handshapes. These findings suggest that while ease of articulation is a key predictor of handshape frequency, it interacts with lexical, discursive, and phonological factors as well. Future research should incorporate larger datasets with nuanced theoretical and functional frameworks to better account for the complex motivations behind handshape distribution in signed languages.