This thesis describes ideophones in the Bantu language Kikamba (E55). The concept of ideophones and iconicity in (African) linguistics is introduced and a typological overview of Kamba is given. A...Show moreThis thesis describes ideophones in the Bantu language Kikamba (E55). The concept of ideophones and iconicity in (African) linguistics is introduced and a typological overview of Kamba is given. A description of the Kamba ideophone is provided, as well as semantic descriptions and example sentences. Moreover, findings on phonology, syntax, and the implicational hierarchy (Dingemanse 2012) are presented.Show less
Within sign language poetry there is a genre that has not been the subject of scientific research yet, even though it has been around for quite some time: visual vernacular. It differentiates...Show moreWithin sign language poetry there is a genre that has not been the subject of scientific research yet, even though it has been around for quite some time: visual vernacular. It differentiates itself from other types of sign language literature in that it hardly ever uses anything but iconic signs, and this is what makes it internationally comprehensible across sign language borders. It is even understandable to audiences who do not have any knowledge of a sign language. Besides iconic signs, it uses many cinematographic techniques such as role switching from and to different subject or objects within the story. Visual vernacular is different from another type of sign language literature called classifier stories mainly in that the latter uses sign language specific lexicon which visual verancular does not. Another similar form of art, this time outside the sign language realm, is pantomime, but this is different from visual vernacular in many ways, one of the most prominent of which is that pantomime performers are only the storyteller whereas visual vernacular performers swith between the storyteller, main protagonist and any other subject or object in the story. By making a literary overview and using a dataset of different types of visual vernacular stories, this thesis provides an inter and intra sign language poetry genre comparison.Show less
Iconicity in reduplication is often considered to be a relation between form and referent, but this idea is more often than not inappropriate or too complicated. A thorough discussion about the...Show moreIconicity in reduplication is often considered to be a relation between form and referent, but this idea is more often than not inappropriate or too complicated. A thorough discussion about the nature of the sign, reduplication and its iconic nature, followed by a case study of Samoan shows that the iconicity should be seen as a relation between form and content.Show less
