Variation and stability of lexical items in international sign language

Abstract This study presents an analysis of variation and stability in International Sign Language (IntSL). IntSL exhibits linguistic properties at all levels including the lexicon. The lexicon presents variation for several reasons, such as previous sign language knowledge (L1 effects on L2 sign language), cultural influences, and iconicity motivation. At the same time, it presents lexical stability. Phonetic-phonological realization of the signs in IntSL is susceptible to variation as has been found in other signed languages (see e.g. Xavier and P. Barbosa (2014. Diferentes pronúncias em uma língua não sonora? Um estudo da variação na produção de sinais da Libras. D.E.L.T.A 30(2). 371–413); Xavier and F. Barbosa (2017. Variabilidade e estabilidade na produção de sinais da Libras. Domínios de Linguagem Uberlândia 11(3). 903–1006); Lucas et al. (2001. Sociolinguistic variation. In C. Lucas (ed.), The sociolinguistic of sign languages , 61–111. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press); Johnston and Schembri (2010. Variation, lexicalization and grammaticalization in signed languages. Langage et Societe 131(1)); Battison (1974. Phonological deletion in American sign language. Sign Language Studies 5. 1–19); Jordan and Battison (1976. A referential communication experiment with foreign sign languages. Sign Language Studies 10(Spring). 69–80); Battison and Jordan (1976. Cross-cultural communication with foreign signers: Fact and fancy. Sign Language Studies 10(Spring). 53–68). This paper investigates lexical properties – with focus on variation – and lexical stability in IntSL. The data analysis follows the methodology of Xavier and F. Barbosa (2017. Variabilidade e estabilidade na produção de sinais da Libras. Domínios de Linguagem Uberlândia 11(3). 903–1006) in their work on lexical variation and stability in Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) as well as the work of Nieto-Castanon et al. (2005. A modeling investigation of articulatory variability and acoustic stability during American English/r/production. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 117(5)) on the functional relationship between articulatory variability and stability of acoustic cues during American English/r/production. The findings reveal that despite within-signer and across-signer lexical variation, phonetic-phonological parameters in lexical signs have been stabilized and preserved. As a result, these signs have been entered in the lexicon of IntSL.