Metasemiotic Regimentation in the Standardization of Nepali Sign Language

Abstract

Both the linguistic forms attended to and the ways in which they are linked to the social vary within and across language standardization projects. In addition, it cannot be assumed that people will notice the same indexical connections between linguistic forms and social structures or rationalize them in the same ways. An analysis of the project to standardize Nepali Sign Language highlights the fact that it is therefore necessary to account for the processes by which standardization projects attempt to reduce variation not only in the formal properties of language but also in the wider semiotic interpretations of those forms.

Publisher

American Anthropological Association

Publication Date

1-1-2008

Publication Title

Journal Of Linguistic Anthropology

Department

Anthropology

Document Type

Article

DOI

https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1548-1395.2008.00019.x

Language

English

Format

text

Link to Full Text

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