2019 Volume 21 Issue 2 Pages 34-49
This paper looks at linguistic aspects and the grammaticalization of Monastic Sign Language (MSL) used in the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance (O.C.S.O.) by comparison with prevailing MSL research and sign language research in linguistics. Since MSL has been generally understood to be like a system of gestures, it has rarely been studied in sociolinguistics or linguistics and the real nature of the language has not been revealed. In this study, fieldwork was conducted at O.C.S.O. monasteries in Germany, the Netherlands, and Japan. The results of the analysis of the collected utterance data, revealed three characteristics of interrogative expression: (a) Wh-markers in Wh-interrogatives, (b) Question-markers in Yes-No questions, and (c) Request expressions that change Yes-No questions. We examined the grammaticalization and transition from Wh-markers and Question-markers observed in these interrogative expressions and considered why monks change interrogative expressions to request sentences by taking into account the internal social structure of the monks, such as rank and work roles. We also clarified how monks engage with others and establish communication through MSL.
