A Typological Perspective on Serial Verb Constructions in Sign Languages

Abstract: Although linguists recognize sign languages as grammatically rich and valuable for comparative research, few typologies developed for spoken languages explicitly include sign languages, and much of the research on sign languages focuses on issues pertaining specifically to sign languages rather than the potential for more general typologies. This article explores the typology of serial verb constructions (SVCs) in sign languages. First, an assortment of eight semantic types drawn from research on spoken languages are identified in American Sign Language. Second, SVCs are shown to be nearly ubiquitous in a survey of 50 sign languages worldwide. We conclude that SVCs may be even more typical of sign languages than spoken languages, a fact that has gone unnoticed by specialists in SVCs and specialists in sign languages alike. By looking at the bigger picture from a comparative perspective, we can identify such commonalities and further our understanding of both sign languages and linguistic typology in general.