Dr. Bill
Vicars
Lifeprint.
com
ASL
Linguistics:
The Function
of Space
If there is no identifiable
reason (other than,
“That is how Deaf
people do it”) that we
sign FOR at “head level”
FEEL on the chest, or
NOW at waist level we
can say that the
“location or space” is
what?
Phonological
/
Articulatory
If space is just a
non-meaningful
part of building
a sign it is
considered
what?
Phonological
/
Articulatory
If you change
space and it
builds a new sign
(a new meaning)
then use of space
is what?
Morphological
New topic…
If you use space
to construct
sentences (ex:
establish subject
and object) it is…
Syntactical
(and also still
morphological)
Consider:
SUMMER
UGLY
DRY
In those signs,
space or
location
simply provide
what?
Phonological
Contrast
Which means
that space is
what makes
those signs
look different.
If we use space to
indicate a person
by pointing to
where he is or was
we are using space
for…
Referential
Functions
If we use space to
indicate where
something is in a
3D framework we
can say its function
is…
Locative
The face that CL:3
“CAR” has a front
and back or that
we sign things from
our point of view is
using space to
indicate…
a “Frame of
Reference”
Relative vs
Absolute
(p147 5th Ed)
We can also use
space for “role
shifting” “eye gaze”
or body/head
position changes to
indicate…
Narrative
Perspective.
What is
“Phonological
Contrast”
good for?
Phonological
Contrast makes
signs look
different. (But the
specific contrast
itself is
meaningless.)
Name 4 types of
Phonological
Contrast:
handshape
location
orientation
movement
[We call these things
what?]
In general we call
them parameters
of signs. Or parts
of signs.
If a particular
handshape, location,
orientation, or
movement has no
independent
meaning we could
call it what?
You could “still” call
it a parameter or
part of a sign. More
specifically though it
can be considered a
phoneme.
If a particular
handshape, location,
orientation, or
movement HAS
independent
meaning we could
call it what?
You could “still” call
it a parameter or
part of a sign. More
specifically though it
can be considered a
morpheme.
Generally in any
two different
signs at least one
parameter must
be different.
What if two
people sign
something and no
parameters are
different?
They are doing
the same sign.
We know that
handshape, location,
orientation, and
movement provide 4
types of Phonological
Contrast. What can
provide morphological
contrast?
Actually, handshape,
location, orientation,
and movement can
provide EITHER
(meaningless)
phonological contrast
OR (meaningful)
morphological
contrast!
If the contrast is
meaningless we CALL
it phonological. If the
contrast carries
meaning we CALL it
morphological
contrast.
Puzzle for you:
Two people each did a sign.
The sign done by each
person had the exact same
parameters (including facial
expression) as the sign done
by the other person – yet
each person’s sign meant
something different. How is
this possible? Give me an
example.
Dr. Bill
Vicars
Lifeprint.
com