Dr. Bill
Vicars
Lifeprint.
com
Linguistics
of American
Sign
Language
Lexical
Categories
(5th Edition Pages 100 – 111)
x
Lexical =
"words or
vocabulary
"
Lexical Unit
=
"a word"
(or a sign)
Lexical
Categories
=
Nouns
Verbs
Adjectives
Adverbs
etc.
Can divide
signs into
two types:
“Content
Signs” &
“Function
Signs”
“Content
Signs”
Examples:
nouns
verbs
adjectives
adverbs
Function
signs
include:
pronouns
prepositions
conjunctions
What are some
“Content
Signs"
lexical
categories?
noun verb
adjective
adverb
What are
some
Function
Signs lexical
categories?
pronouns
prepositions
and
conjunctions
If a lexical
category
tends to
accept new
signs it is
"open."
If a lexical
category
doesn’t
accept new
signs it is
"closed."
Example:
Sometimes
we need
new
nouns…
MICROWAVE
I-PHONE
E-Mail
We don't
seem to
need new
pronouns:
Existing
pronouns
can refer to
new nouns.
So we
don't
need new
pronouns.
So, the
lexical
category of
"pronoun"
is closed.
Topic:
“Nouns”
Name sign:
“Dr. Bill”
Name
sign:
Katie
= noun
CHICAGO
= noun
#SEARS
= noun
#DENNY'S
= noun
COMPUTER
TABLE
THEORY
= noun
Nouns
include:
individuals
…
places
…
concret
e
things…
abstract
things
Nouns tend to
be countable.
How do you
make a
noun plural
in English?
Generally
you add
an "s"
How do you
make a
noun plural
in ASL?
redupli
cation
brothers =
BROTHER++
sisters =
SISTER++
words =
WORD++
plants =
PLANT++
"Verbs"
Verbs =
actions
…
events
…
processes
…
states of
being …
RUN
WALK
ENJOY
LIKE
HELP
INFORM
Topic:
"Adjectives"
Adjectives
describe
nouns
Adjective
examples:
opinions
Adjectives
tend to
appear
before
nouns
Adj after
noun =
"adjectival
predicate"
Example:
MOVIE,
FUNNY
adj FUNNY
(after
movie) acts
as a verb
Ex: The
movie is
funny!
Adjectives
can be
modified…
TALL
MAN
vs …
VERYTALL
MAN
Topic:
"Adverbs"
Adverbs
are used
to…
express
manner
indicate
temporal
frequency
modify
adjectives
modify
other
adverbs
English
tends to
use "-ly"
ASL modifies
via
"articulation"
Articulation
means…
"How a
sign is
produced"
Example:
SIT vs…
SIT-FORLONGTIME
Adverbs
also
indicate
"when" …
YESTERDAY
TWOWEEKSAGO
NEXTTWODAYS
STILL
Example:
TOMORROW
PRO-1
WORK
CLOSED
LEXICAL
CATEGORIES
…
Pronouns
Modal_verbs
Prepositions
&
Conjunctions
What
does a
pronoun
do?
Represents
an already
identified…
PERSON
PLACE
THING
English:
he, she, it,
them, us
How are ASL
pronouns
different
from English
pronouns?
ASL only has
two
categories
of pronouns:
1. Pronouns
that point
at oneself
2. Pronouns
that point
away from
self
PRO-1
=
I / me
PRO =
you, he,
she, it,
they
English has
3 categories
of pronouns:
st
1
person:
I / me
nd
2
person:
you
rd
3
person:
he/she
Another
difference:
subject and
object
pronouns
English:
I / me
we / us
he / him
ASL: initial
location /
final location
(direction)
ASL has
"numeral
morphemes"
…
ASL
pronouns
can identify
a specific
number
PRO-MULTITHREE
(first
person)
PRO-MULTITHREE
(non-first
person)
Examples:
PRO-1 =
I/ME
PRO-DUAL-1
= "WE-2"
"you 2"
"you 3"
"those
three"
PRO-PL1 = "we"
PRO-PL
= "they"
Topic:
"Modal
Verbs"
Modal verbs
express:
necessity or
possibility
Usually
modal
verbs come
before
other verbs
Sometimes
modal
verbs come
after a verb
verb > modal
verb =
"emphasis"
Examples:
WILL
CAN
MUST
SHOULD
Topic:
Modal Verb
"emphasis"
What is the
difference
between
these
concepts in
ASL?...
should
need-to
must
Playful
intensity:
MUST!-[4fingers]
Topic:
"prepositions"
Prepositions
show
relationships
of nouns
English:
under, on,
in, above,
with, do,
etc.
ASL:
"depiction"
depiction
used to be
called
"classifiers"
depiction
=
showing
how
Predicate
= "says
something
about"
"Predicate"
=
"comment"
ASL
prepositions
tend to
incorporate…
more
information,
for example…
INSIDE(near_chest)+
= "inner
feelings"
Example…
OLD
FEELING
STILL
INSIDE-MYCHEST
Topic:
Conjunctions
Conjunctions
join
words or
phrases
ASL
conjunctions:
…
UNDER
STAND
Examples…
PRO BRING
#TV, SHELF
PLUS
S-O-F-A
PRO CAN GO
STORE
UNDERSTAND
HELP
MOTHER
FIRST
Dr. Bill
Vicars
Lifeprint.
com