ABSTRACT
The sign languages of the deaf and of certain hearing communities have been even more thoroughly disparaged as crude makeshifts or jargons, even less deserving of serious analysis. As the field of linguistics gained in apparent rigor and theoretical sophistication, cultural anthropologists came to look upon it as an ideal model toward which the whole science of culture should turn for guidance. Peng notes that sign language users tend to be a low status, particularly if they are deaf. Peng's discussion also suggests that there may be some communicational advantages of manual sign language over speech, especially with respect to transmission of spatial and movement information. With regard to ape language researches, a great many exciting possibilities come to mind, almost certainly far exceeding the practicalities of funding. Unfortunately, all of the ape language projects are very expensive.
