ABSTRACT
Considerable effort has been devoted to exploring the striking parallels between the structure of spoken languages and sign languages on virtually every level. There is, however, one aspect of ASL for which there exists no obvious parallel in any spoken language. ASL, and apparently all other natural sign languages, allow signers to produce signs at, or direct signs toward, different locations within the signing space to indicate specific referents or to show specific locations. J Pronouns, indicating verbs, locative verbs, and classifier predicates, all have this capability.2 Producing such signs at or directing such signs toward specific parts of the signing space produces meanings that differ from those of the same signs produced at or directed toward other areas of the signing space. Spoken languages have not taken advantage of the tongue's ability to point. It would be possible, for example, to point the tongue to the left while producing the initial consonant of the word this to indicate that the referent was on the speaker's left, but spoken languages have not structured themselves this way. Sign languages, however, have structured themselves in ways that take advantage of the hand's ability to point. This chapter explores the conceptual and grammatical mechanisms that underlie such uses of space in ASL.
