Framed on the Prosodic Model of general organisation of signs, the study sought to establish the dominant phonological make-up of South African Sign Language toponyms or name signs. The study adopted the universal conception of the phonological structure of sign language as comprising handshape, place of contact or articulation, palm orientation, movement and non-manual markers. Toponymic signs are a cultural and a sociolinguistic marker used by the so complex and dynamic Deaf communities to name places within their geographic spaces. The study used a sample of 30 place name signs collected as part of a larger survey of South African Place Name signs. Visual data in form of video images were analysed using ELAN software and written descriptions which were validated using constant expert reviews and audit trails. Results indicated that the dominant phonological parameters used in the structuring of SASL toponyms are handshape, movement and contact or articulation in that order with rare cases of palm orientation and non-manual features. Therefore, changes in mainly handshape and/or movement are responsible for major structural variations in South African Sign Language toponyms yet changes in palm orientation were responsible for minor and often insignificant variations. Non-manual features were largely neutral. The study concluded that changes in phonological structuring were responsible for the South African Sign Language place name variations. Thus, future researchers are implored to explore codification and documentation of South African Sign Language toponymic signs using geo-visualization and geo-spatial technologies.

KEY WORDS: Phonological Structure; South African Sign Language Toponyms; Sign Language Parameters; Codification; Documentation; Geo-visualization and geo-spatial technologies