Corporificação e iconicidade cognitiva:um estudo sobre verbos em línguas de sinais

Abstract

It seeks to analyze how some verbs in sign languages of different countries can establish iconic relations according to how reality is portrayed in some cultures. Through a bibliographical and qualitative research, verbs of the following sign languages are studied: Brazilian Sign Language, French Sign Language, American Sign Language, Portuguese Sign Language, Swedish Sign Language, Chinese Sign Language and Japanese Sign Language. Eighteen verbs were selected in seven sign languages, generating an analysis of one hundred twenty-six signs. Due to the extension of the proposed study, the signs were extracted from the "Spread the Sign Web Dictionary - SWD", which displays several signs languages videos. The main problem is to understand if verbs in sign languages present iconic relations motivated by linguistic-cognitive processes. For this, we analyze how verbal signs can be linked to the embodiment, the metaphor, the metonymy, the image schemes and the possible cultural influences of each country. It is also sought to verify if the iconic relations of the signs with the body are similarly maintained in the analyzed sign languages. To develop this study, the following issues are addressed: deaf culture; deaf identities; oralism and audism; the beginning of visual and gestural communication in a historical perspective; manual alphabets and types of verbs of sign languages analyzed; description of linguistic and historical data about the Brazilian Sign Language - Libras; theoretical assumptions of Cognitive Linguistics; research on theories of Cognitive Linguistics in sign language; methodological procedures used to develop the research; and analysis of the linguistic-cognitive processes in signs of verbs in the seven sign languages. Preliminary results indicate that the relationship with the body (embodiment) has been maintained in most of the verbs studied through metonymy and metaphors, favoring cognitive iconicity. Thus, the development of this study provides for the user of sign languages, language researchers and deaf education a metalinguistic knowledge. Therefore, this research presents the social relevance of promoting a means of knowing, describing and valuing sign languages.