Bridging formal semantics and sign linguistics: Projects, Pitfalls, Possibilities

Kathryn Davidson (Harvard)

I began from the perspective of a student in formal semantics and pragmatics who came to learn a great deal about how meaning in language works from sign linguists and signers of ASL and other sign languages, and who in turn tries to create insights using the tools of formal semantics and experimental pragmatics to contribute to our understanding of sign languages. Given this, I’ll briefly discuss some examples that I can see of insights coming from each direction, focusing on recent studies in quantification. I’ll end by talking concretely about how dialogue between semantics and sign linguistics has and can happen in outward facing publications and events, and also in publications, regular lab/group meetings, and collaborations within academia.