Iconicity is in the eye of the beholder

TLDR

The study notes that research on iconicity in signed languages is hindered by conflating iconicity with transparency in its definition and operationalization. The authors aim to show that iconicity differs from transparency, arising from individual experience and subjective construal, and to operationalize it in a way sensitive to language experience. They asked ASL and DGS signers to rate iconicity of ASL and DGS signs. Signers rated their own language signs as more iconic, indicating that iconicity perception is closely tied to language‑specific experience.

Abstract

Abstract A renewed interest in understanding the role of iconicity in the structure and processing of signed languages is hampered by the conflation of iconicity and transparency in the definition and operationalization of iconicity as a variable. We hypothesize that iconicity is fundamentally different than transparency since it arises from individuals’ experience with the world and their language, and is subjectively mediated by the signers’ construal of form and meaning. We test this hypothesis by asking American Sign Language (ASL) signers and German Sign Language (DGS) signers to rate iconicity of ASL and DGS signs. Native signers consistently rate signs in their own language as more iconic than foreign language signs. The results demonstrate that the perception of iconicity is intimately related to language-specific experience. Discovering the full ramifications of iconicity for the structure and processing of signed languages requires operationalizing this construct in a manner that is sensitive to language experience.