ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a detailed overview of sign language phonology. Sign language interaction is made up of different types of signs. These different types have been exemplified in models of the sign language lexicon proposed by many researchers. The lexicon is divided into three components: the core lexicon, the non-core lexicon, and the non-native lexicon. As with handshape, Place of Articulation (POA) is represented within the Inherent Features structure. Its organisation within the Prosodic Model reflects the generalisation that there are four major body regions and that each region has eight place distinctions. The chapter discusses three areas of interest within the field of sign language phonology. These are: the development of phonological models/phonological theory, the effect of modality on phonological organisation, and the link between sign language and gestures produced by non-signers at the phonological level. The third area is one that has received particular interest from sign language linguists in recent years.
