Sign Language and Linguistic Universals

by Wendy Sandler , Diane Lillo-Martin

• ISBN13: 9780521483957
• ISBN10: 0521483956
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-02-06
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

Sign languages are of great interest to linguists, because while they are the product of the same brain, their physical transmission differs greatly from that of spoken languages. In this pioneering and original study, Wendy Sandler and Diane Lillo-Martin compare sign languages with spoken languages, in order to seek the universal properties they share. Drawing on general linguistic theory, they describe and analyze sign language structure, showing linguistic universals in the phonology, morphology, and syntax of sign language, while also revealing non-universal aspects of its structure that must be attributed to its physical transmission system. No prior background in sign language linguistics is assumed, and numerous pictures are provided to make descriptions of signs and facial expressions accessible to readers. Engaging and informative, Sign Language and Linguistic Universals will be invaluable to linguists, psychologists, and all those interested in sign languages, linguistic theory and the universal properties of human languages.

Table of Contents

Preface	xv
Notation conventions	xx
UNIT I INTRODUCTION	1	(18)
1 One human language or two?	3	(16)
1.1 Separating the code from the mode: the role of linguistic theory	4	(12)
1.1.1 The word and its structure	6	(2)
1.1.2 Sublexical units	8	(3)
1.1.3 The sentence	11	(5)
1.2 The mode and its implications for the study of language	16	(3)
UNIT II MORPHOLOGY	19	(92)
2 Morphology: introduction	21	(2)
3 Inflectional morphology	23	(32)
3.1 Verb agreement	23	(24)
3.1.1 Sign language verb agreement — basic description	24	(5)
3.1.2 Sign language verb agreement — additional complexities	29	(2)
3.1.3 Sign language verb agreement — accounting for verb classes	31	(3)
3.1.4 Determining agreement from nominal controllers	34	(1)
3.1.5 Determining agreement based on the thematic structure of verbs	35	(4)
3.1.6 Number agreement	39	(3)
3.1.7 Non-manual marking of agreement	42	(4)
3.1.8 Verb agreement summary	46	(1)
3.2 Verbal aspect	47	(3)
3.3 Pluralization	50	(1)
3.4 Models of templatic morphology	51	(4)
4 Derivational morphology	55	(21)
4.1 Templatic derivational morphology in sign languages	55	(8)
4.1.1 Templatic derivational morphology in ASL	55	(3)
4.1.2 Allomorphy	58	(1)
4.1.3 An ASL morphome	59	(1)
4.1.4 Morphemes realized on the.face	60	(3)
4.2 Morpheme sequences: non-templatic derivational morphology in sign languages	63	(9)
4.2.1 Sequential morphology in ASL	64	(5)
4.2.2 Sequential morphology in Israeli Sign Language	69	(3)
4.3 Compounds	72	(2)
4.3.1 Lexicalized and novel compounds	72	(1)
4.3.2 Coordinate compounds	73	(1)
4.4 Interim summary	74	(2)
5 Classifier constructions	76	(18)
5.1 A basic description	77	(6)
5.2 Verbal classifiers and Noun Incorporation	83	(6)
5.2.1 Properties of classifiers that evolved from Noun Incorporation	85	(4)
5.3 Classifier constructions: bound morphemes combined postlexically	89	(3)
5.4 Understanding classifier constructions through poetry	92	(1)
5.5 Conclusion	93	(1)
6 Entering the lexicon: lexicalization, backformation, and cross-modal borrowing	94	(14)
6.1 Classifier constructions: from postlexical to lexical and back again	95	(3)
6.1.1 Prosodic transformation under lexicalization	97	(1)
6.2 Productivity and lexicalization: the case of SAUNTER	98	(6)
6.2.1 Spatial verbs as lexicalized classifier constructions	102	(2)
6.3 Foreign vocabulary	104	(16)
6.3.1 Mouthing is sign, not speech	104	(1)
6.3.2 Borrowing through fingerspelling: structure, meaning, and iconicity	105	(3)
7 Morphology: conclusion	108	(3)
UNIT III PHONOLOGY	111	(168)
8 Meaningless linguistic elements and how they pattern	113	(7)
9 Sequentiality and simultaneity in sign language phonology	120	(24)
9.1 Liberation of the segment: excursus on non-linear theories of phonology and morphology	122	(1)
9.2 Sequential Structure in the sign	123	(5)
9.3 The Move–Hold model: sequential segments in sign language	128	(4)
9.4 The Hand Tier model: hand configuration as an autosegment	132	(7)
9.5 The phonology of non-linear morphology in sign language: prosodic templates	139	(3)
9.6 Conclusion	142	(2)
10 Hand configuration	144	(30)
10.1 Parameters of contrast	145	(6)
10.2 Hierarchical representation of feature classes: handshape	151	(5)
10.2.1 Feature Geometry in spoken language phonology	152	(1)
10.2.2 The geometry of selected fingers and finger position	152	(2)
10.2.3 The representation of internal movement	154	(2)
10.3 Orientation and the hand configuration hierarchy	156	(3)
10.4 Terminal features	159	(10)
10.4.1 Unariness and markedness in handshapes	160	(6)
10.4.2 Orientation features	166	(2)
10.4.3 Phonetic redundancy and other predictable properties	168	(1)
10.5 Where is hand configuration in the overall phonological model?	169	(2)
10.6 Summary and conclusion	171	(3)
11 Location: feature content and segmental status	174	(8)
11.1 Two classes of location features	174	(5)
11.2 A 3-D hierarchy of signing spaces	179	(2)
11.3 Summary and unresolved issues	181	(1)
12 The non-dominant hand in the sign language lexicon	182	(14)
12.1 The two-role theory	183	(6)
12.2 The one-role theory: a dependency model	189	(3)
12.3 Advantages and disadvantages of each theory of h2	192	(2)
12.4 Phonology vs. phonetics, and the central consensus	194	(1)
12.5 The roles of the non-dominant hand beyond the lexicon	195	(1)
13 Movement	196	(20)
13.1 The movement category: preliminary description	197	(2)
13.2 Evidence for a movement category	199	(3)
13.3 Representation of movement as a sequential segment	202	(4)
13.4 Another proposal: movement as prosody	206	(8)
13.4.1 Discussion	210	(4)
13.5 Movement in words is constrained	214	(2)
14 Is there a syllable in sign language?	216	(30)
14.1 The sign language syllable: preliminary description	217	(1)
14.2 Theoretical background: the syllable in spoken language	218	(1)
14.3 The sign language syllable as a timing unit	219	(1)
14.4 Distinguishing the sign language syllable, the morpheme, and the word: constraints on structure	220	(7)
14.4.1 Constraints on the syllable	221	(52)
14.4.2 Morpheme structure constraints	273
14.4.3 The word	226	(1)
14.5 The monosyllable conspiracy and other syllable level generalizations	227	(8)
14.5.1 The monosyllable conspiracy	228	(3)
14.5.2 Stress	231	(1)
14.5.3 Final syllable reduplication	232	(3)
14.6 Sonority in sign language	235	(9)
14.6.1 Sonority in a sequentially organized syllable	236	(2)
14.6.2 Other theories of sonority	238	(3)
14.6.3 Sonority versus loudness'	241	(2)
14.6.4 Sonority Summary: assessing the relation between visual salience and linguistic sonority	243	(1)
14.7 Syllables and sonority: conclusion	244	(2)
15 Prosody	246	(20)
15.1 The Prosodic Word	247	(3)
15.2 The Phonological Phrase	250	(3)
15.3 The Intonational Phrase and intonation in sign language	253	(4)
15.4 Superarticulation: facial expression as intonation	257	(7)
15.4.1 Superarticulation is linguistic	258	(1)
15.4.2 Superarticulation is componential	259	(1)
15.4.3 The physical instantiation of intonation versus superarticulation	260	(1)
15.4.4 Grammaticization and language specificity, of superarticulation	261	(1)
15.4.5 Linguistic and nonlinguistic superarticulation	262	(2)
15.5 Nonisomorphism	264	(1)
15.6 Summary, conclusion, and future research	265	(1)
16 Phonology: theoretical implications	266	(13)
16.1 Consensus and unresolved issues	266	(2)
16.2 The architecture of the phonological component: lexical, postlexical, and non-lexical	268	(4)
16.2.1 Lexical and postlexical phenomena in sign language	269	(2)
16.2.2 A non-lexical level in sign language	271	(1)
16.3 Universals and modality effects in both modalities	272	(7)
UNIT IV SYNTAX	279	(196)
17 Syntax: introduction	281	(7)
17.1 Unit overview	281	(3)
17.2 The generative approach	284	(4)
18 Clausal structure	288	(32)
18.1 Basic word order	289	(9)
18.2 Embedding	298	(2)
18.3 Phrase structure	300	(18)
18.3.1 Generative approaches to phrase structure	301	(3)
18.3.2 Do sign language sentences have structure?	304	(4)
18.3.3 Mini-topicalization	308	(1)
18.3.4 Split headedness	309	(1)
18.3.5 Non-manual markers as key to phrase structure	310	(5)
18.3.6 Modals provide evidence for phrase structure	315	(3)
18.4 Summary and conclusion	318	(2)
19 Clausal structure across sign languages	320	(14)
19.1 Auxiliary signs	321	(2)
19.2 LSB phrase structure	323	(9)
19.2.1 A universal theory of phrase structure	323	(2)
19.2.2 Verb types in LSB	325	(7)
19.3 LSB compared with ASL	332	(2)
20 Variations and extensions on basic sentence structures	334	(35)
20.1 DP structure	335	(9)
20.1.1 Determiners	339	(2)
20.1.2 Adjectives and quantifiers	341	(3)
20.2 The syntax of classifier constructions	344	(8)
20.2.1 A Noun Incorporation analysis	344	(4)
20.2.2 Classifiers as agreement	348	(4)
20.3 Verb sandwiches and object shift	352	(6)
20.4 Negatives	358	(11)
20.4.1 Phrase structure of negation	359	(5)
20.4.2 Negative headshake	364	(5)
21 Pronouns	369	(35)
21.1 Overt pronouns	371	(18)
21.1.1 Personal pronoun system – description	371	(3)
21.1.2 Personal pronoun system – issues	374	(5)
21.1.3 Point of view and logophoricity	379	(10)
21.2 Two kinds of null arguments in ASL?	389	(15)
21.2.1 Null arguments and agreement	389	(1)
21.2.2 Null arguments without agreement	390	(3)
21.2.3 Null arguments in ASL	393	(5)
21.2.4 Are null arguments in A SL uniformly licensed by agreement?	398	(6)
22 Topic and focus	404	(27)
22.1 Information packaging	404	(2)
22.2 Topics in sign languages	406	(7)
22.3 Information packaging in ASL	413	(3)
22.4 Double constructions	416	(11)
22.4.1 Focus doubling in ASL	416	(7)
22.4.2 Focus doubling in LSB	423	(2)
22.4.3 Doubles versus tags	425	(2)
22.5 Clefting: so-called rhetorical questions	427	(4)
23 WH-questions	431	(41)
23.1 A cross-linguistic look at WH-questions	432	(3)
23.2 Is WH-movement to left or right?	435	(19)
23.2.1 WH-questions with more than one WH-phrase	437	(8)
23.2.2 Sentence-initial WH-objects	445	(3)
23.2.3 Sentence-final WH-subjects	448	(1)
23.2.4 Spread of WH-question non-manual marker	449	(3)
23.2.5 Indirect questions	452	(2)
23.3 Interim summary	454	(1)
23.4 LSB WH-movement	455	(4)
23.5 WH-questions and intonation	459	(11)
23.5.1 Sentence structure and presence of WH-question non-manual marker	464	(4)
23.5.2 Sentence structure and spread of WH-question non-manual marker	468	(2)
23.6 Conclusions	470	(2)
24 Syntax: summary and directions	472	(3)
24.1 Summary	472	(1)
24.2 Future research	473	(1)
24.3 Modality effects	474	(1)
UNIT V MODALITY	475	(36)
25 The effects of modality: linguistic universals and sign language universals	477	(34)
25.1 Signed languages and linguistic universals	477	(2)
25.2 The use of space	479	(10)
25.2.1 Pronouns and the use of space	481	(1)
25.2.2 Verb agreement and the use of space: linguistic and extralinguistic aspects	482	(6)
25.2.3 Other uses of space	488	(1)
25.3 Simultaneity	489	(4)
25.3.1 Motivatedness and simultaneity	491	(1)
25.3.2 Production/perception and simultaneity	492	(1)
25.3.3 Processing and simultaneity	492	(1)
25.4 Iconicity/motivatedness	493	(10)
25.4.1 Iconic motivation at the lexical level	496	(4)
25.4.2 Iconic motivation in morphological processes of all sign languages	500	(1)
25.4.3 Motivatedness can penetrate phonology	501	(2)
25.5 Language age and language structure	503	(5)
25.5.1 Resolving the contradiction	504	(3)
25.5.2 Diachronic development of sign-language- typical morphology	507	(1)
25.6 Conclusion, implications, and directions for future research	508	(3)
References	511	(30)
Index	541