THE EXPRESSION OF INTENSITY IN BRAZILIAN SIGN LANGUAGE (LIBRAS)

Abstract

Research on the expression of intensity in signed languages has reported the use of non-manuals and changes in the movement (WILBUR; MALAIA; SHAY, 2012) and number of hands (JOHNSTON; SCHEMBRI, 1999; XAVIER, 2013, 2014) in its manifestation. This paper aims to contribute with the advance in the description of this process in Brazilian Sign Language (Libras), through the analysis of 27 signs, produced in isolation in their baseline and intensified forms by two female deaf subjects from the city of São Paulo. The results indicate that, despite the diversity of manual and non-manual resources, intensification in Libras seems to be governed by the iconicity principle.