Word-Level Correspondence and Characteristics of Identical Sign Expressions in Korean, Japanese, and American Sign Languages

Purpose: This study investigates word-level, phonological parameter correspondence, and identical signs among Korean Sign Language (KSL), Japanese Sign Language (JSL), and American Sign Language (ASL). A total of 423 signs were analyzed. Results: First, the rate of complete correspondence across all three sign languages was very low at 7.8%. The rate of partial correspondence was 12.8%, whereas the rate of complete mismatch was significantly high at 79.4%. In pairwise comparisons, the correspondence rate between KSL and JSL was relatively high (35.5%), while those between KSL and ASL (8.5%) and between JSL and ASL (8.3%) were considerably lower. Second, an analysis of phonological parameters revealed that the correspondence rates followed the order of location (14.8%), handshape (12.8%), orientation (11.4%), and movement (11.2%). Although location showed the highest level of agreement, the differences in correspondence rates among the parameters were not significant. Third, 37 identical signs expressing the same meaning were identified across the three sign languages. These signs primarily included of action-based expressions (e.g., SELECT, BREAK), object-based descriptions (e.g., BOAT, GLASSES), state-based representations (e.g., WIDE, STRONG), and loan signs (e.g., COMPUTER). In addition, 8 homonyms —signs with identical forms but different meanings—were identified. Conclusion: Overall, these results indicate that KSL and JSL share a relatively high degree of similarity, whereas both exhibit significantly lower similarity with ASL. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the variation in correspondence rates across phonological parameters is minimal among the three sign languages.