Why does gradient iconicity in sign language degrade grammatical consistency across diverse signing communities?

💡 Explanation

Gradient iconicity refers to the degree to which a sign visually resembles its referent; when iconicity dominates, the conventional spatial grammar and morphology become less consistent because users prioritize resemblance rather than adherence to grammatical rules. Therefore, spatial grammar decays rather than being preserved because iconicity's visual priority supersedes structured conventions.

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