Antonymy in Hausa Deaf Language
Keywords:
Relational Antonyms, Complementary Antonyms, Gradable Antonyms, Antonyms, Hausa Sign LanguageAbstract
Antonym is more concentrated on the oppositeness of word meaning. This would explain the existence of a large quantity of the vocabulary of spoken languages as well as in sign languages. Hausa deaf language is one of the sign languages which has quantity of lexical antonyms. It occurs via the change of hand movement, orientation as well as sign’s location in production. This article identifies and discusses lexical antonyms in the Hausa deaf language and shows the extreme function of parameters within their formation. Data were collected from deaf in various centres in the Kano metropolitan (Municipal, Fagge, Nassarawa, and Kumbotsu). The Hand Tiers Model initiated by Sandler (1989) was employed for the purpose of this analysis. The gradable, complementary, and relational
antonyms were all identified in the Hausa deaf language. The article identifies how the gradable antonyms are produced in the Hausa Sign Language which denotes degrees of variable property with intermediate or middle ground scale. The article also discusses
complementary antonyms in Hausa sign language. However, the article illustrates how the relational antonyms in Hausa sign language are formed.
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