List of illustrations . . ix
List of tables . . xv
Acknowledgements . . xvi

1 Introduction . . 1
1.1 The Arandic language region . . 4
1.2 A multimodal approach to communication . . 6
1.3 Sign and gesture in sand stories . . 12
1.4 Tracks and traces: iconicity in sign, sand and gesture . . 16
1.5 Space and frames of reference . . 19
1.6 A multimodal perspective on gradient phenomena . . 28
1.7 Relationships between gesture and speech . . 30
1.8 Outline of the remainder of the book . . 32

2 Sand stories as social and cultural practice . . 35
2.1 Previous documentations of sand stories . . 35
2.2 Lexical semantics of the terra tyepety . . 41
2.3 Dreamtime, Dreaming and the meanings of Altyerr . . 43
2.4 Sand story styles . . 44
2.5 Techniques and tools . . 53
2.6 Mapping, diagramming and games in Central Australia . . 59
2.7 Sand stories and awely ceremonies . . 64
2.8 The end of the story . . 66
2.9 Concluding comment . . 68

3 Catching a move as it flies: multimodal data collection and annotation . . 71
3.1 Recording naturalistic data in challenging conditions . . 72
3.2 Coding and transcription . . 74
3.3 The 'sand quiz': testing the meaning of V-units . . 88
3.4 Representing multimodal events as transcript . . 93
3.5 Concluding comment . . 98

4 Lines in the sand . . 100
4.1 Conventionalized ground-ground type V-units . . 101
4.2 Visible paths in sand . . 115
4.3 Combinations of static and dynamic elements . . 119
4.4 Motion and multimodality . . 121
4.5 The interprefcon of motion in space . . 128
4.6 Innovation and change . . 131
4.7 Concluding comment . . 135

5 Body-anchored and airborne action . . 137
5.1 Previous work on Aboriginal sign languages and gesture in Australia . . 137
5.2 Handsigns in sand stories . . 145
5.3 Pointing in sand stories . . 152
5.4 A tunnel ball game in sand . .  157
5.5 Concluding comment . . 163

6 Ordering, redrawing and erasure . . 166
6.1 V-units and the order of narrative events . . 166
6.2 Erasing the story space . . 176
6.3 The role of deictic units in transitions between frames . . 191

7 Vocal style in sand stories . . 195
7.1 'Talking song' and 'singing story' . . 196
7.2 Some features of Arandic songs . . 198
7.3 Doodlebugs and bogeymen: repeated text and borrowed words in a sand story . . 203
7.4 A 'sung' sand story . . 209
7.5 Concluding comment . . 219

8 Crossing boundaries . . 222
8.1 Multimodality, forms and functions in sand stories . . 223
8.2 Alternative representations in sand, sign and gesture . . 224
8.3 Convention or continuously varying forms? . . 227
8.4 Coordination across modalities . . 230
8.5 Verbal art, visual art . . 231
8.6 Inscriptive practices: beyond Central Australia . . 235
8.7 Concluding comment . . 240

Appendix 1: Abbreviations, glossing and orthographic conventions . . 244
Appendix 2: Summary of six stories annotated in detail . . 247
Bibliography . . 248
Index . . 265