Minimal pairs
When two signs differ by a single formative parameter, they are called ‘minimal pairs’.
As with spoken languages, where the difference of a single phoneme can change the meaning of two words (such as team/time, make/bake), in sign languages changing a single formative parameter can change the meaning of the sign.
For example, the signs below differ in their non-manual component:
- Sorrow
- Love
The signs below differ in location:
- Difficult
- Remember
The signs below differ in handshape:
- Work
- Always
More examples
You can see other examples in the Basic components section in Gramàtica bàsica LSC (Quer et al. 2005), which you can find at the following link: Basic sign components
Content: Barberà, Gemma (2010) Language: Catalan Sign Language (LSC) [academic notes]. UPFMoodle
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