La utilización del espacio en contextos icónicosel caso de la lengua de signos española

Abstract

The grammatically-targeted use of sign space constitutes one of the most specific features of Sign Languages. The aim of this article is to analyse, in Spanish Sign Language (LSE), the use of space linked to the expression of numeric information in contexts that display a high degree of iconicity. The expression of numeral information in LSE is purely iconic. Numbers from 1 to 10 are phrased with the fingers of both hands; from 11 onwards, we may sign them by their representation in the sign space. Apart from this basic way of expression, there are contexts in which, depending either on the information we want to convey or on the sign attached to the numeral, we are faced with more specific and highly iconic procedures, some of them already grammaticalised, some others more discursive. It is our aim to establish a taxonomy of such procedures by analysing: a) the use of sign space as a recreation of a time map to express calendar units, b) the joint use of space and both hands as iconic referents to express numeric information connected with rank, location and referential equation, and c) some instances in which numeric information associated to specific concepts is expressed by highly iconic procedures that rely on the possibilities sign space has to be used as a scale representation of the real world.