Urban Toponymy in South African Sign Language (SASL): Patterns and Variations

Research article published in "Sign Language Studies".

Siyavoshi, S., & Sibanda, P. (2024). Urban Toponymy in South African Sign Language (SASL): Patterns and Variations. Sign Language Studies 24(4), 942-960. https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/….

EXTRACT

Onomastics, a field within the humanities, focuses on the study of proper names. It is closely intertwined with various broader disciplines, including linguistics, ethnography, philology, history, philosophy, and others. Names are "special words used to identify a person, an animal, a place, or a thing, each carrying significance. In many instances, this significance may be obscured within the name's history, while in others, it remains apparent" (Redmonds 2007, IX). One subfield of onomastics is toponomy, which is the study of place names in language. Place names, or toponyms, serve as geographical markers in all languages. They are also artifacts of cultures and languages intimately tied to the human conceptualization of spaces.

The study of onomastics in sign languages has consistently been an aspect of both sign linguistics and deaf studies. This sustained interest arises from the unique system of personal naming through [End Page 942] visual-gestural attributes, operating independently of conventional written and spoken names, and consistently drawing the attention of scholars. Within deaf communities across the globe, a common practice involves assigning names based on physical attributes, behavior, occupations, and life narratives and aligning with the morphological structures inherent to the respective sign language. Studying the system of assigning names and analyzing naming patterns in sign languages extends beyond personal names. Signers employ various strategies based on phonological or morphological patterns to name not only individuals but also places. Discussing spatial and geographical features constitutes a significant aspect of people's everyday conversations. In this study, we specifically investigate the toponymic system, focusing on urban place names in South African Sign Language (SASL). Our analysis is based on data collected from SASL signers residing in the city of Bloemfontein in Free State province.