Iconicity

A property of a linguistic sign in which its form resembles or is motivated by its meaning, rather than being arbitrary. In sign languages, iconicity is pervasive: many signs visually depict an action, shape, or spatial relationship associated with the referent (for example, signs that mime drinking, holding, or pointing). Iconicity is relevant for accessibility because it can be leveraged in sign language pedagogy: making form-meaning mappings explicit helps learners understand why a sign takes its particular shape and supports deeper acquisition than rote memorisation.