Hands shaping communication: From gestures to signs

Abstract

The focus of this contribution is on the importance of handshapes and is based on data from several studies coming from different perspectives and research traditions. First, we will analyse the emergence of handshapes in infant prehension and fine motor development. Then, we will consider how and to what extent handshapes have played a relevant role in research on gestures in children. Finally, we will describe different trends in the linguistic analyses of handshapes in child and adult uses of sign languages. Bringing these perspectives together for the first time in a single paper provides a better general understanding of the relevant role of the human hand in shaping communication.