William Stokoe
William Clarence Stokoe, Jr. (* 21st July 1919 in Lancaster, New Hampshire , † 4. April 2000 in Chevy Chase, Maryland ) was an American linguist , who as a professor at Gallaudet University for the Deaf, the American Sign Language (ASL ) explored.
In 1960 he showed with his research that ASL in particular and sign languages in general are full-fledged languages and with this discovery marks the beginning of modern sign language research. In 1972 he founded the journal Sign Language Studies , which continues to appear today with brief interruptions. In 1996 he was elected a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences .
Stokoe designed a written notation system (the Stokoe Notation ) for sign language based on the Latin alphabet. In addition to ASL, it was also used for other sign languages.
Important publications
- "Sign language structure: An outline of the visual communication systems of the American deaf. Studies in linguistics: Occasional papers “(No. 8); Buffalo: Dept. of Anthropology and Linguistics, University of Buffalo; 1960
- "Dictionary of American Sign Language on Linguistic Principles"; 1970; ISBN 0932130011
- "Gesture and the nature of language" with David F. Armstrong and Sherman E. Wilcox; Cambridge 1995; ISBN 0521462134
- "Language in hand: why sign came before speech"; Washington DC 2001; ISBN 156368103X
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Stokoe, William |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Stokoe, William Clarence Jr. |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American linguist, researched American Sign Language |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 21, 1919 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Lancaster, New Hampshire |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 4, 2000 |
| Place of death | Chevy Chase, Maryland |