1 basic concepts

بۋڎژحطزخ

بۋڎژحلبۋڎژحلخ

طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש

מ בורפנככזעת

שש

שבורפנככזעמ בורפ

שע

בורפנככזע

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvw

xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

Linguistics of American Sign LanguageSign 260

Instructor

Christopher Greene [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

Language

• What does language mean?

A natural language is “a system of signs humans use to communicate with each other”

6,909 around the world

364 in the United States, half of them native

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

Language

EHow one person speaks is

called an idiolectiib If several

speak that way, we call it a dialect

cHowdy ya’ll

My name is…

Pleased to meet you

Shall we get an ice cream?

I’m fixin to leave at 6

I might could be there on time

Yo dawg

he be sick

I like cheese

Sup bro

You don’t mind if…

…ever so kindly…

Where many of those circles of natural communication

intersect—that is language

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

Language Media

• Language must be expressed through a medium.

Primary medium

• Speech• Sign

Secondary Medium

• Orthography

• Morse code• Semaphore

etc…

Ie, a writing system like an alphabet, an abjad, pictographs etc

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

Language

• All humans have linguistic competence: a person’s potential ability to use language

• We display this through linguistic performance—although naturally sometimes we make performance errors.

The dog barked at me.*Dog the barked at me.

(Linguists often mark an unacceptable utterance with a * to show it is not a fluent statement)

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

Language• All humans have linguistic competence: a person’s

potential ability to use language

• We display this through linguistic performance—although naturally sometimes we make performance errors.

*

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

Language > Linguistics• Linguists study patterns of speech and signing

to determine the structure of language.• Linguistics is a scientific field, which means we

use the scientific method.

• If something repeats, we consider it a theory and keep using it until we find something that predicts better than the current theory

Step 1: use your experienceStep 2: form a conjectureStep 3: deduce a predictionStep 4: test the prediction >If your prediction is false, go to step 2. >If your prediction is not false, go back to step 3 or 4

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

Language > Linguistics

• Semantics – how do we determine meaning

• Morphology – how do we construct meaning

• Syntax – how do we construct sentences

• Phonetics – how are words perceived

• Phonology – how do we construct words

• Pragmatics – how does context affect language

• Semiotics – how do people communicate with symbols

Etc.

Linguists are concerned with “what” and “how”? How do people use language? What are our mental rules?

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

Prescriptive vs Descriptive Grammar

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

Prescriptive vs Descriptive Grammar

• Linguists are concerned with describing how language occurs—this is called descriptive grammar.– How do people speak?

• We are not concerned with making value judgments about how people communicate—this is called prescriptive grammar.– How should people speak?

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyzName Signs

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

NZ judge orders 'odd' name change (BBC NEWS 2008)

• A judge in New Zealand made a young girl a ward of court so that she could change the name she hated—Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii.

• Denied names:• Sex Fruit• Fat Boy• Cinderella Beauty Blossom• Fish and Chips• 6 Cylinder Ford Car• Mower

• Yeah Detroit• Stallion• O.crnia • Twisty Poi• Keenan Got Lucy• Hitler

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

Name Signs

• Like nicknames in the hearing community, deaf people deserve a ‘nickname’ they like to be called rather than their real name.

• When a deaf person joins and becomes accepted into the deaf community, one usually gives the deaf person a name sign based on several reasons.

• One’s name sign usually remains with the person for the rest of their life; some drop their name signs and some have several name signs throughout their lives.

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

Supalla (1992)

• Historical analysis of ASL name signs

• Through personal interviews, determined names signs follow a set of predictable rules

• Dictionary of 525 ANS

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

Name Signs

• Two types:– Arbitrary and Descriptive

• Arbitrary (ANS)– Neutral location– One location on

body– Two locations on

body

• Descriptive (DNS)– physical appearance– employment related– characteristics of body

movements– personal tendencies or

habits– similar sound or meaning of

a person's name or surname– any unusual or unique

characteristics of a person

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

Name Signs• “Possession of a name sign symbolizes

membership in the Deaf community”.

• DNS are more popular with children; typically adults favor ANS

• ANS with a dual motion or two letters have prestige over those with one movement or letter:– “…one location on the body [is] more plain, like

‘Joe’ or ‘Jane’. In contrast [a sign] dual locations on the body are considered more fancy, equivalent to ‘Richard’ or ‘Jacqueline.’ “

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

Name Signs• The Deaf community has a long history of “playing

with signs” (ASL puns) and making “joke” name signs that combine letters with descriptions.– Richard Nixon– Madonna– Ronald Reagan– Bill Clinton

• Note: these are meant to be amusing. Supalla found:– Many hearing “outsiders” had this type of sign name as a

marker that they were not yet “in the Deaf community”– These signs names result from “contact between the

hearing and Deaf communities”

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

Name Signs

• What kind of name signs are these?• Abraham Lincoln• George Washington• Edward Miner

Gallaudet• Thomas Hopkins

Gallaudet• William Stokoe

• Abee de l’Epee• Brenda Cartwright• Christopher Greene• Mary Klein• Marlee Matlin• Samuel Supalla• Cheryl Moose

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

Languages and Communication Systems

Languages and communication systems share some characteristics, and differ in other ways.

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

Languages and Communication systems

• All ways of communicating are made up of symbols (sometimes called linguistic signs) that are organized and shared by a community.

I enjoy the music of Cyndi

Lauper on Wednesdays

We all agree colors, shapes, numbers and letters mean certain things.

We all agree certain sounds in certain orders mean certain things.

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

Languages and Communication Systems Composed of symbols/signs

A “sign” is something (a color, image, sound etc) that represents something else

÷

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz


For spoken languages, sounds are the basic signs.

In English, [k]+[æ]+[t] =

[k]+[ʊ]+[k]+[i] =

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz


For visual-gestural languages, there are five parameters

In ASL: Handshape=F Location=cheek Palm orientation=in Movement=repeated, out Non manual signal=none

Handshape=claw-5 and B Location=front space Palm orientation=down/up Movement=repeated tap and twist Non manual signal=none

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

Languages and Communication Systems A system; signs are organized and used

systematically

English: The boy played behind his house

“-ed” means past tense

“the” means only one, not two or ten

Refers back to the boy

Prepositional phrase

Noun could be replaced with another noun like “dog” or “preacher” or “Spice Girl”

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

Languages and Communication Systems A system; signs are organized and used

systematically

Example of ASL rule: Symmetry Condition If two hands in a sign move independently,

then they will usually have the same handshape, location and type of movement

Ie, EXCITED, MAYBE, PLAY, HOPE, WHICH

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

Languages and Communication Systems Symbol forms may be arbitrary or iconic

more iconic

more arbitrary

[tɹi]

“Majestic, tall, strongPowerful, life giving, agedFood, seeds hope”

-poem by Smile Henry

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

Languages and Communication Systems Members of a community share the same

system

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

Languages

• Languages are special and have certain characteristics from communication systems.

• Productive• Negation• Mechanisms for new

symbols• No domain restriction• Symbols can be

broken down• Not bound to the

present

• Change across time• Interchangeable• Users can self-

monitor• Can learn from

others• Variants• Metalinguistic

principle

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

Languages

• Productive; the number of sentences that can be made are infinite, new messages on any topic can be produced at any time

tDo you like my tie?

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

Languages

• Languages have the ability to communicate negation

– Margaret is pretty. Sharon is not pretty.

BARK!*Not

BARK?

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

Languages

• Has mechanisms for introducing new symbols

– Compounding– Creation of new symbols– Lexical Borrowing

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

Languages

• Can be used for an unrestricted number of domains

• ASL• Audism• Politics• Cheese• Baseball• Feminism• Linguistics• Judaism• Halloween costumes• Electromagnetism• Hillary Rodham Clinton• The war in Libya• Menstruation• Swing dancing• Underwear• Art• Surfing

• Birdsongs1. DANGER!2. MATING TIME!

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

Languages

• Symbols can be broken down into smaller parts and recombined

– Unlockable = Un- + lock + -able

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

Languages

• More than one meaning can be conveyed by a group of symbols

My flight took two hours.Have you seen the movie The Hours?I have been standing in line for literally hours!Did you turn in your journal hours?

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

Languages

• Can refer to past, present and nonimmediate situations

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

Languages

• Change across time

Beowolf (11th C) Chaucer (1400) Shakespeare (1600) Swift (1700) Dickens (1800)

Hwaa! We Gar-Dena in gear-þagum þeod-cynga þrym gerfunon þa aðelingas. Ellen fremedon Oft Scyld Scefing sceaðena…

Whilom, as olde stories tellen us, Ther was a duc that highte Theseus;Of Atthenes he was lord and governour, And in his tyme swich a conquerour…

And I in going, madam, weep o'er my father's deathanew: but I must attend his majesty's command, towhom I am now in ward, evermore in subjection.

I grew weary of the sea, and intended to stay at home with my wife and family. I removed from the Old Jewry to Fetter Lane, and from thence to Wapping, hoping to get business among the sailors…

Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

Languages

• Can be used interchangeably by all users

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

Languages

• Users monitor their use, can indicate errors

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

Languages

• Parts of the system must be learned from other users

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

Languages

• Users can learn variants of the same language

Soda, pop, fizzy drink, coke

Tennis shoes, sneakers

Po’boy, Sloppy joe

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

American Sign Language

• American Sign Language is a natural language created by Deaf people and used by members of the North American Deaf Community.

• “As long as we have Deaf people, we will have sign language”

– George Veditz (1904)

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

History of ASL

• Before 1817—not much information• There were some communities in American

using signs (MVSL)• In 1817, ASD appeared in Hartford, CT; the

teachers there used LSF

• The languages mixed and became what we call ASL.

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

History of ASL• Cognates are words

that are similar in two languages and are believe to be linked.

• Linguists can study cognates to determine relationships.

• (looking at change over time is called diachronic linguistics)

English Latin Greekfish piscis ikhthys

father pater paterfoot ped- pod-six sex hexa

seven septem heptasweet suavis hedys

salt sal hal

new novus neos

night noct- nyktnine novem nea

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

History of ASL

• James Woodard studied cognates in ASL and LSF and found ≈60% seem to be related.

LSF ASL Laugh Help

Liar

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

History of ASL

American Sign Language

Proto-American Sign Language

Signs used in America prior to

1817 (40%)

Proto-French Sign Language

(60%)

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

?

بۋڎژحطزخ


طزخبل

بۋڎژحطخ

فبۋڎژح

طزخل

מ ת

שש


שש


שע

בורפנככזע


xyzabcdefghijklmnvw

xyz

Avenues to Membership in the Deaf Community (Baker-Shenk, et al)

1 basic concepts

Education

Transcript of 1 basic concepts