- Home
- e-Journals
- Sign Language & Linguistics
- Previous Issues
- Volume 17, Issue, 2014
Sign Language & Linguistics - Volume 17, Issue 1, 2014
Volume 17, Issue 1, 2014
-
Scalar implicatures in a signed language
Author(s): Kathryn Davidsonpp.: 1–19 (19)More LessThis paper tests the calculation of scalar implicatures in American Sign Language (ASL) in one of the first experimental pragmatic studies in the manual/visual modality. Both native signers of ASL and native speakers of English participated in an automated Felicity Judgment Task to compare implicatures based on two traditional scales as well as “ad hoc” scales in their respective languages. Results show that native signers of ASL calculate scalar implicatures based on a prototypical scalein ASL in the same pattern as native speakers of English, within the same experimental paradigm. There are similarly high rates of exact interpretations of numbers in ASL as in English, despite the iconicity of the numerals in ASL. Finally, an ad hoc scale was tested showing fewer implicatures in English than on the conventionalized scales. In ASL, there was a trend toward increased implicatures on the ad hoc scale which made use of the unique ability of ASL to convey spatial information using the classifier system. Taken together, these results show that conventionalized scales in ASL have the same semantic/pragmatic scalar properties as in spoken languages, although in non-conventionalized scales the inclusion of additional information such as spatial location may affect pragmatic interpretation.
-
Non-native or native vocabulary in Mexican Sign Language
Author(s): Bernadet Hendriks and Shelley Dufoepp.: 20–55 (36)More LessThis paper discusses lexicalized fingerspelling and initialization in Mexican Sign Language (LSM). It analyzes various phonological restructuring processes that take place when fingerspelled words become lexicalized and it argues that these lexicalized signs are part of the foreign/non-native lexicon of LSM, based on a model by Brentari and Padden (2001). As far as initialization, which is extremely common in LSM, is concerned, this article describes variation in the use of initialization by different signers of LSM, and the various lexical families based on initialization that exist in LSM. It also argues that, unlike lexicalized fingerspelling and unlike initialized signs in ASL, initialized signs are part of the core vocabulary of LSM, because they behave like native signs both phonologically and morphologically. To conclude, the morphological structure of initialized signs is discussed.
-
Do repeated references result in sign reduction?
Author(s): Marieke Hoetjes, Emiel Krahmer and Marc Swertspp.: 56–81 (26)More LessPrevious research on speech and gesture has found that repeated references are often linguistically reduced in terms of, for example, the number of words and the acoustic realization of these words, compared to initial references. The present study looks at the production of repeated references by 14 signers of Sign Language of the Netherlands (NGT). Participants had to describe figures to an addressee, who had to pick the correct figure from a large group of figures. Several figures had to be described several times. The question was whether there would be reduction in the repeated references. We found systematic effects of repetition in that repeated references were shorter, contained fewer signs, and shorter signs than initial references. Moreover, in order to measure sign precision, a perception test was used where participants had to judge, in a forced choice task, which sign they considered to be the most precise, looking at 40 pairs of video clips with signs produced in either initial or repeated references to the same object by the same signer. We found that, non-signing participants (but not signing participants) consider signs produced during repeated references to be less precise than the signs produced during initial references. Taking together these results suggest that a similar reduction process in repeated references occurs in NGT as has been found previously for speech and gesture.
-
A quantitative analysis of sign lengthening in American Sign Language
Author(s): Jesse Stewartpp.: 82–101 (20)More LessIn spoken languages, disfluent speech, narrative effects, discourse information, and phrase position may influence the lengthening of segments beyond their typical duration. In sign languages, however, the primary use of the visual-gestural modality results in articulatory differences not expressed in spoken languages. This paper looks at sign lengthening in American Sign Language (ASL). Comparing two retellings of the Pear Story narrative from five signers, three primary lengthening mechanisms were identified: elongation, repetition, and deceleration. These mechanisms allow signers to incorporate lengthening into signs which may benefit from decelerated language production due to high information load or complex articulatory processes. Using a mixed effects model, significant differences in duration were found between (i) non-conventionalized forms vs. lexical signs, (ii) signs produced during role shift vs. non-role shift, (iii) signs in phrase-final/initial vs. phrase-medial position, (iv) new vs. given information, and (v) (non-disordered) disfluent signing vs. non-disfluent signing. These results provide insights into duration effects caused by information load and articulatory processes in ASL.
Volumes & issues
-
Volume 27 (2024)
-
Volume 26 (2023)
-
Volume 25 (2022)
-
Volume 24 (2021)
-
Volume 23 (2020)
-
Volume 22 (2019)
-
Volume 21 (2018)
-
Volume 20 (2017)
-
Volume 19 (2016)
-
Volume 18 (2015)
-
Volume 17 (2014)
-
Volume 16 (2013)
-
Volume 15 (2012)
-
Volume 14 (2011)
-
Volume 13 (2010)
-
Volume 12 (2009)
-
Volume 11 (2008)
-
Volume 10 (2007)
-
Volume 9 (2006)
-
Volume 8 (2005)
-
Volume 7 (2004)
-
Volume 6 (2003)
-
Volume 5 (2002)
-
Volume 4 (2001)
-
Volume 3 (2000)
-
Volume 2 (1999)
-
Volume 1 (1998)
Most Read This Month
Article
content/journals/1569996x
Journal
10
5
false

-
-
Rethinking constructed action
Author(s): Kearsy Cormier, Sandra Smith and Zed Sevcikova-Sehyr
-
-
-
The ASL lexicon
Author(s): Carol A. Padden
-
- More Less