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← Language & CommunicationWhy does 'pointing' in sign language vary across different sign language communities, rather than being universally iconic?
A)Neural mirroring limits cross-cultural expression
B)Motor cortex constraints enforce similarity
C)Gestural drift leads to phonological change
D)Grammaticalization incorporates spatial indexing systems✓
💡 Explanation
Pointing varies due to grammaticalization, because spatial indexing, which is language specific, gets incorporated into the pointing gesture. Therefore, sign languages develop unique spatial grammars, rather than relying purely on iconicity, because these grammars are rooted in culture.
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