Going Beyond the Manual: How Understanding Sign Language Morphology and Syntax Impacts Translation

Sign languages are often misunderstood as manual representations of spoken languages akin to how Braille represents spoken language. However, since the 1960s, linguistic research has demonstrated that sign languages are full-fledged natural languages, possessing rich morphological, syntactic, and expressive capabilities. The use of the visual-gestural modality and multiple articulators (i.e., hands, face, head, torso) give rise to modality-appropriate strategies for conveying grammatical, affective, and discourse-level information. In the lexicon, signs are typically distinguished by five key parameters: handshape(s), location of the hands in relation to the body, type and manner of movement, palm orientation, and nonmanual markers. Sign language morphology uses changes to these parameters to express derivational or inflectional meaning. Well-formed signed utterances require specific attention to nonmanual markers and the appropriate use of space, both of which play crucial roles in morphosyntactic and lexical expression. A signed translation that focuses only on manual lexical content while neglecting these additional dimensions risks producing a message that is unclear or misleading. I provide an overview of key morphological and syntactic structures found in sign languages, highlighting features that are especially relevant for Bible translation. Drawing from multiple sign languages, I note some common translation challenges and emphasize the guiding principle: “How do Deaf people talk about concepts like this?” 1 Through this lens, I underscore the importance of linguistic sensitivity to the natural ways in which sign languages can express biblical content.