UNM linguist examines how sign languages change across cultures

In the first part of her interview on the It's Probably Not Rocket Science podcast, University of New Mexico linguist Erin Wilkinson discussed how Deaf mobility, education and genetics shape sign language communities around the world. She described how travel, international collaboration and historical connections influence the development of Deaf culture and language systems.

In the second half of the conversation, Wilkinson turned to one of her newest research projects, examining how sign languages evolve across regions and generations.

Working with collaborators in West Africa and the United States, Wilkinson is studying similarities and differences between American Sign Language, or ASL, and sign languages used in Côte d'Ivoire. The research focuses on name signs, personalized signs used within Deaf communities to represent an individual's name.

"These name signs are fascinating because they tell us a lot about how languages change over time," Wilkinson said.

Tracing connections across continents

The project began after Wilkinson taught at a summer school in Ghana attended by Deaf students from across West Africa. While interacting with students, she noticed something unusual.

Some of the name signs they used resembled older patterns that had largely disappeared from American Sign Language.

"I started growing a fascination with their name signs because some of them were ones I hadn't seen in the U.S. for quite a long time," she said.

Those observations led Wilkinson to collaborate with researcher Tano Angua from Côte d'Ivoire. Together, they began comparing name sign systems used by Deaf communities in West Africa and the United States.

Their work also connects to a key historical figure in Deaf education. Andrew Foster, an American Deaf educator, established more than 30 schools for Deaf students across Africa during the 20th century.

Foster's work helped introduce elements of American Sign Language to several West African communities, creating lasting linguistic connections.

"Where Foster had longer contact with communities, we tend to see stronger similarities with ASL," Wilkinson said.

Studying language through name signs

Name signs are individualized signs used to represent a person's name in Deaf communities. They often incorporate a handshape related to the person's name along with a specific movement or location on the body.

To study how these signs differ across languages, Wilkinson and her colleague collected hundreds of examples. The team gathered more than 400 examples from ASL users and more than 100 examples from Deaf signers in Côte d'Ivoire.

By comparing the signs, they identified differences in how each language tends to structure name signs.

One key pattern involved where signs are produced on the body.

Côte d'Ivoire sign language tends to favor more central locations, such as the forehead or chin. ASL, by contrast, often uses more peripheral locations, including the sides of the head or shoulders.

"These patterns show that even small elements of language, like where a sign is placed, can reveal deeper differences between linguistic systems," Wilkinson said.

Understanding language change

Wilkinson's broader research focuses on language variation and change, a topic widely studied in spoken languages but still developing within sign language linguistics.

Just as spoken languages vary by region, sign languages also contain differences in vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation.

For example, English speakers might refer to a carbonated drink as soda, pop or coke, depending on where they grew up. Sign languages show similar variation.

"There's a lot of lexical variation, different ways to sign the same word, but we still know relatively little about how grammatical patterns change over time," Wilkinson said.

Understanding those changes can help researchers see how language communities adapt and influence one another.

Building global research networks

Wilkinson's research relies heavily on international collaboration. Sign language linguistics is a relatively small field, meaning researchers often build close networks across institutions and countries.

Over more than two decades, Wilkinson has developed partnerships with scholars in Europe, Africa and the United States through conferences, research visits and editorial work.

"I've developed quite a network," she said. "Those connections allow us to study language from many different perspectives."

These collaborations are especially important when documenting sign languages that have received limited academic attention.

Looking ahead

Wilkinson is also working on additional research examining grammar and language change within American Sign Language.

One project analyzes four different signs that correspond to the English word "what," exploring how Deaf signers use them in different grammatical contexts. The goal is to better understand how frequency and everyday language use influence linguistic change.

Ultimately, Wilkinson hopes her research will help people better understand the complexity of Deaf communities and the languages they use.

"Deaf people can be bilingual or multilingual," she said. "Their experiences show us how adaptable human language and communication really are."

For Wilkinson, studying sign languages is about more than linguistics. It is about understanding how people connect, adapt and create meaning together.

"We can learn so much from how Deaf people navigate the world," she said.

To hear more about Wilkinson's research and global work on sign language, listen to It's Probably Not Rocket Science, available at podcast.unm.edu, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.