Syntax of American Sign Language : Functional Categories and Hierarchical Structure

by Carol Neidle, Judy Kegl, Dawn MacLaughlin, Benjamin Bahan and Robert G. Lee

• ISBN13: 9780262140676
• ISBN10: 0262140675
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-01-01
• Publisher: Bradford Books

Summary

Recent research on the syntax of signed languages has revealed that, apart from some modality-specific differences, signed languages are organized according to the same underlying principles as spoken languages. This book addresses the organization and distribution of functional categories in American Sign Language (ASL), focusing on tense, agreement, and wh-constructions. Signed languages provide illuminating evidence about functional projections of a kind unavailable in the study of spoken languages. Along with manual signing, crucial information is expressed by specific movements of the face and upper body. The authors argue that such nonmanual markings are often direct expressions of abstract syntactic features. The distribution and intensity of these markings provide information about the location of functional heads and the boundaries of functional projections. The authors show how evidence from ASL is useful for evaluating a number of recent theoretical proposals on, among other things, the status of syntactic agreement projections and constraints on phrase structure and the directionality of movement.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Introduction	1	(6)
Organization of the Book	2	(3)
Reporting of Data	5	(1)
Theoretical Backdrop	6	(1)
Methodological Considerations	7	(20)
Introduction	7	(1)
Sociolinguistic Context	7	(5)
Data Collection	12	(9)
Transcription and Analysis of Data	21	(3)
Data Dissemination	24	(1)
Chapter Summary	25	(2)
Language in the Visual Modality	27	(22)
Introduction	27	(1)
Articulation of Signs	27	(3)
Spatial Representation of Linguistic Information	30	(8)
Uses of Nonmanual Markings	38	(10)
Conclusions	48	(1)
Delimiting CP	49	(14)
Introduction	49	(1)
Common Clause-External Constructions	50	(8)
World Order and Hierarchical Structure	58	(3)
Chapter Summary	61	(2)
Tense and Agreement in the Clause	63	(24)
Introduction	63	(1)
Agreement	63	(13)
Tense	76	(7)
The Hierarchical Structure of the ASL Clause	83	(1)
Chapter Summary	84	(3)
Determiners and Agreement in DP	87	(22)
Introduction	87	(1)
Determiners	88	(6)
Possessive Constructions	94	(2)
Agreement	96	(10)
Chapter Summary	106	(3)
Wh-Questions	109	(38)
Introduction	109	(1)
The Case for Rightward Wh-Movement in ASL	109	(18)
Agreements and Disagreements about the Data	127	(1)
Agreements and Disagreements about the Data	127	(6)
Alternative Accounts in Terms of Leftward Wh-Movement	133	(14)
Conclusions	147	(6)
Conclusions	149	(1)
Findings Counter to Prior Claims about ASL	150	(1)
Findings Consistent with Other Theoretical Results	150	(2)
Findings That Shed Light on Current Theoretical Debates	152	(1)
Closing Thoughts	152	(1)
Appendix Notational Conventions	153	(8)
A.1 Representation of Manual Signs	153	(1)
A.2 Use of Indices and Related Diacritics	154	(1)
A.3 Specific Manual signs Important to This Work	155	(2)
A.4 Nonmanual Markings	157	(2)
A.5 Dominant versus Nondominant Hand and Marking of Perseveration	159	(2)
Notes	161	(36)
References	197	(22)
Index	219