Variations in the arbitrariness of ASL: an assessment of the symbolicity of simian signs

This paper summarizes and applies a continuum of «arbitrariness» or «symbolicity» composed of symptoms, rituals and symbols to the results of research in which American Sign Language (ASL) was used as the method of «language» training. Additionally, an expansion of the symbolicity continuum to include a continuum of «abstractness» with the «conceptual symbol» anchoring the most arbitrary end of the continuum was advanced. The results of the comparison provide additional support for the claim that apes are capable of learning and using symbolic signs. However, only a small number of those symbolic signs could be considered «conceptual symbols».