International Review of Sign Linguistics Volume 1

The International Review of Sign Linguistics -- which replaces the International Journal of Sign Linguistics -- is planned as an annual series publishing the most up-to-date scholarly work in all aspects of sign language linguistics. There is no other comparable publication. The international community of sign linguists needs an authoritative outlet for its research findings. IRSL provides this forum for sign linguists, and for those mainstream linguists increasingly interested in sign languages, by filling the void in linguistic analysis of sign language -- as opposed to other concerns, such as deaf education, teaching sign languages, training interpreters, etc. -- and by pulling together in one place linguistic dialogue on sign language structure. It provides a scholarly focus for all linguists who need to remain current with developments in sign linguistics. For the growing international community, IRSL provides a focus for developments within the field and for advancement of the field in scattered research communities.

This review contains seven articles covering a wide range of linguistic areas, signed languages, and theoretical perspectives. Papers deal with the lexicon, morphology, phonology, syntax, pragmatics, prosody, metalinguistic issues, and socio-historical change. Five signed languages are represented including American, German, Australian, French, and Israeli.

Contents: S.D. Fischer, By the Numbers: Language-Internal Evidence for Creolization. H. Ebbinghaus, J. Hessmann, Signs & Words: Accounting for Spoken Elements in German Sign Language. T. Johnston, Function and Medium in the Forms of Linguistic Expression Found in a Sign Language. A. Stavans, One, Two or More: The Expression of Number in Israeli Sign Language. W. Sandler, Representing Handshapes. C.T. Boster, On the Quantifier-Noun Phrase Split in American Sign Language and the Structure of Quantified Noun Phrases. R.B. Wilbur, Evidence for the Function and Structure of Wh-Clefts in American Sound Language.