Usage-based grammars and sign languages

Abstract Work within variationist corpus-based sign language linguistics often has implications for linguistic theory in general, as this quantitative data-driven approach can be used to test claims in any linguistic theory. In this paper, I discuss a number of previous findings on variation in specific phonological, morphological, and syntactic features in Auslan, New Zealand Sign Language ( Schembri et al. 2009 ; de Beuzeville et al. 2009 ; McKee et al. 2011 ) and British Sign Language ( Fenlon et al. 2013 ) that appear to provide some support for usage-based theories of language. First, I discuss the role of lexical frequency effects and phonological reduction in Auslan, NZSL, and BSL. Second, I explore lexical frequency and the modification of indicating verbs in Auslan ( de Beuzeville et al. 2009 ). Third, I discuss evidence for short-term structural priming in variable subject noun phrase expression ( McKee et al. 2011 ) in Auslan. All of these different sources of evidence provide support for a usage-based theory of sign language grammar.