Abstract (eng)
Linguistic iconicity, the intricate relationship between the form of a language signal and its meaning, has been recognized as a crucial element in language acquisition (Sehyr & Emmorey, 2019; Ortega, 2017). Sign languages, such as Austrian Sign Language (ÖGS), present a unique opportunity for investigating iconicity due to their inherently visual nature and the higher frequency of iconic forms compared to spoken languages (Perniss & Vigliocco, 2014). However, until now, relatively little is known about the degree of iconicity (how iconic the form is perceived) and to what extent aspects such as iconicity strategy (acting, drawing, representing, personification), semantic category (action with object, action without object, manipulable object, unmanipulable object, and animate entity), or lexical class influence the degree of iconicity. This study addresses the underexplored aspects of iconicity in ÖGS by employing a twofold approach. Firstly, an initial iconicity rating is conducted for a diverse set of 328 ÖGS signs, utilizing evaluations from hearing non-signers. Secondly, the study investigates the potential influence of various factors—such as the strategy of iconicity, semantic category, and lexical class—on the degree of iconicity in ÖGS. Data analysis showed verbs receive higher iconicity ratings than nouns. Moreover, signs employing the acting strategy received higher iconicity ratings compared to those utilizing representing, drawing, or personification strategies. Further exploration into semantic categories demonstrates that actions with objects achieve the highest iconicity ratings. This study contributes to the understanding of iconicity in ÖGS by providing the first iconicity rating for a substantial number of signs and simultaneously investigating the interplay between the degree of iconicity and factors, such as strategies of iconicity, semantic category, and lexical class.