Dissertation: Sign language is much more than just visual – both form and meaning are multisensory (Keränen)
Sign language is typically regarded as a visual language in both scientific and lay discussions, and it is often described as being advanced in depicting visually meaning – such as actions and referents – due to its visual modality, where communication takes place through vision. However, Keränen demonstrates in their dissertation Multisensory Iconicity in Finnish Sign Language - Going Beyond Visuocentrism that sign language can describe meanings in a multisensory way.
Rather than relying on the visuocentric term depiction, the dissertation adopts the concept of iconicity, which refers to the phenomenon in which a signed or spoken form resembles its meaning. Traditionally, a sign like HAMMERING is considered an instance of visual–visual iconicity, where the signer’s visually perceptible hand resembles the visually perceptible hand of the actor.
This article examines how multisensory iconicity manifests itself in Finnish sign language. The results demonstrate that signers can perceive their own hands and bodies both visually and somatosensorially, resulting in a multisensory form.
“This is supported by the finding that sighted signers and congenitally blind non-signers share iconic expressions, indicating a reliance on the somatosensory sense in forming iconicity”, comments Keränen.
Furthermore, our lived experience is often multisensory and sometimes emotionally charged, giving rise to multidimensional meaning. As a result, there are numerous possible iconic relationships between form and meaning, each with varying degrees of sensory intensity.
The dissertation invites the field of linguistics to reconsider both theory and methodology in the study of iconicity. It also proposes practical applications in areas such as psychotherapy, sign language interpretation, and sign language art.
MA Jarkko Keränen’s PhD dissertation, Multisensory Iconicity in Finnish Sign Language – Going Beyond Visuocentrism, will be publicly examined at the Ģֱ in the Seminarium building (Old Assembly Hall S212), on August 29, 2025, at 12:00. The Custos will be Professor Tommi Jantunen (Ģֱ), and the Opponent will be Professor Pamela Perniss (University of Cologne).
Väitöskirja on luettavissa JYX-julkaisuarkistossa:
For further information: jarkko.j.keranen@jyu.fi
