Abstract Kinship plays a central role in organizing interaction and other social behaviors in Indigenous Australia. The spoken lexicon of kinship has been the target of extensive consideration by anthropologists and linguists alike. Less well explored, however, are the kin categories expressed through sign languages (notwithstanding the pioneering work of Adam Kendon). This paper examines the relational categories codified by the kin signs of four language-speaking groups from different parts of the Australian continent: the Anmatyerr from Central Australia; the Yolŋu from North East Arnhem Land; the Kuuk Thaayorre from Cape York and the Ngaatjatjarra/​Ngaanyatjarra from the Western Desert. The purpose of this examination is twofold. Firstly, we compare the etic kin relationships expressed by kin signs with their spoken equivalents. In all cases, categorical distinctions made in the spoken system are systematically merged in the sign system. Secondly, we consider the metonymic relationships between the kin categories expressed in sign and the various parts of the body at which those signs are articulated.

中文翻译：

---

指向身体

摘要 亲属关系在澳大利亚原住民组织互动和其他社会行为方面发挥着核心作用。亲属关系的口语词典一直是人类学家和语言学家广泛考虑的目标。然而，通过手语表达的亲属类别研究较少（尽管亚当肯登的开创性工作）。本文研究了由来自澳大利亚大陆不同地区的四个语言群体的亲属符号编纂的关系类别：来自澳大利亚中部的 Anmatyrer；来自东北阿纳姆地的 Yolŋu；来自约克角的 Kuuk Thaayorre 和来自西部沙漠的 Ngaatjatjarra/Ngaanyatjarra。这次考试的目的是双重的。首先，我们将亲属符号表达的 etic 亲属关系与其口语等价物进行比较。在所有情况下，在口语系统中做出的分类区别在符号系统中被系统地合并。其次，我们考虑用符号表达的亲属类别与这些符号所表达的身体各部分之间的转喻关系。