In sign language phonology, what elements are emphasized compared to spoken language?

• A. Hold and movement
• B. Consonant and vowel sounds
• C. Pitch and intonation
• D. Sentence order

Answer: (A)

In sign language phonology, signs are distinguished mainly by how they are held and how they move. The hold refers to the specific handshape and static position, while the movement describes the path and manner of the sign’s motion. These visual-manual features form the core distinctions between signs, much as sounds do in spoken languages, but using hold and movement rather than consonant-vowel contrasts. The other options relate to aspects of spoken language or to grammar and prosody, not to the phonological building blocks of signs. So hold and movement are the elements that are emphasized.