The Use of Signing Space in a Shared Sign Language of Australia (eBook)

Acknowledgements 5
List of figures 13
List of tables 17
Abbreviations 18
Sign language acronyms 19
Glossary 21
Notational conventions 22
Part I: Introduction 25
1 Introduction 27
1.1 Research aims and objectives 29
1.2 Outline of the book 31
2 Sign language types 34
2.1 Deaf community sign languages 36
2.2 Emerging sign languages 37
2.3 Village sign languages 39
2.3.1 Socioeconomic and demographic settings 39
2.3.2 Social homogeneity 40
2.3.3 (Socio-)Linguistic context 41
2.3.4 Degree of endangerment 42
2.4 Alternate sign languages 43
2.4.1 Sawmill Sign Language 44
2.4.2 Monastic sign languages 45
2.4.3 Plains Indian Sign Language 46
2.4.4 Keresan Pueblo Indian Sign Language 47
2.4.5 Australian Aboriginal sign languages 47
2.5 Shared sign languages 52
2.6 Summary 54
Part II: Sociolinguistic Background & Methodology
3 Cultural and sociolinguistic context 59
3.1 Previous studies 59
3.2 Historic & demographic background
3.3 Cultural background 64
3.4 Linguistic context 65
3.5 The use of YSL in Yolngu communities 70
3.5.1 Communication with deaf Yolngu 71
3.5.2 Interaction over distance 74
3.5.3 Further aspects of YSL origin and use 74
4 Data collection 78
4.1 Fieldwork 78
4.1.1 Fieldwork sites 78
4.1.2 Cultural issue 81
4.2 Stimulus materials 82
4.2.1 Spontaneous signing 83
4.2.2 Elicited signing 83
4.2.2.1 Visual materials 83
4.2.2.2 Questionnaires and games 86
4.2.2.3 Translation from English and Djambarrpuy?u 87
4.3 Participants 88
4.4 Data annotation 91
Part III: Selected Aspects of YSL Grammar 97
5 Phonological aspects 99
5.1 Handshapes 99
5.1.1 Basic handshapes 102
5.1.1.1 Token frequency 103
5.1.1.2 Type frequency 104
5.1.1.3 Non-dominant hand frequency 104
5.1.2 Marginal handshapes 106
5.2 Sign types: preference for one-handedness 108
5.3 Nonmanual markers 114
5.3.1 Mouth gestures 114
5.3.2 Mouthings 118
5.3.3 Head movements 120
5.3.3.1 sleep vs. exist 120
5.3.3.2 bäy?u vs. yaka 122
5.4 Summary 124
6 Syntactic aspects 125
6.1 Negation 125
6.1.1 Negation in Djambarrpuy?u 125
6.1.2 Negation in YSL 126
6.1.3 Summary 130
6.2 Interrogatives 130
6.2.1 Content questions 131
6.2.1.1 Question word paradigm 131
6.2.1.2 Syntactic position of question signs 135
6.2.2 Polar questions 138
6.2.3 Nonmanual marking 141
6.2.4 Summary 142
Part IV: Use of Space 145
7 The size of signing space 147
8 Pronominal reference 151
8.1 Pronouns in spoken languages 151
8.2 Pronouns in sign languages 152
8.2.1 Metaphorical pointing 158
8.2.2 Cross-linguistic variation in metaphorical pointing 160
8.3 Pronouns in Djambarrpuy?u 161
8.4 Pronouns in YSL 163
8.4.1 Person 163
8.4.2 Number 166
8.4.3 Clusivity 168
8.4.4 Case 169
8.4.5 Summary & comparison to NCDSLs
8.4.6 Pointing to a house: the use of metonymic pointing in YSL 171
8.5 Summary 178
9 Verb directionality 180
9.1 Verb agreement in spoken languages 180
9.2 Verb directionality in sign languages 183
9.2.1 Sign language verb classes 183
9.2.2 Disagreements on agreement 187
9.3 Verb directionality in YSL 190
9.3.1 YSL verb classes: plain vs. non-plain 190
9.3.1.1 Frequency of spatial modification in non-plain verbs 193
9.3.1.2 Directional verbs 199
9.3.1.3 Absence of number marking 202
9.3.1.4 Optional object or location marking on YSL verbs 203
9.4 Constituent order in transitive clauses 203
9.4.1 YSL constituent order 204
9.4.2 Djambarrpuy?u constituent order 206
9.4.3 Disscussion 207
9.5 Summary 208
10 Expression of motion 210
10.1 Classifiers in spoken languages 210
10.2 Classifiers in sign languages 212
10.2.1 Entity classifiers 213
10.2.2 Handling classifiers 215
10.3 Expression of motion in YSL 217
10.3.1 YSL Directionals 217
10.3.2 YSL Classifiers 220
10.3.2.1 Entity classifiers in YSL 221
10.3.2.1.1 The Ë handshape 222
10.3.2.1.2 The handshape 224
10.3.2.1.3 The handshape 226
10.3.2.2 Handling classifiers in YSL 228
10.4 Summary 231
11 Expression of size and shape 233
11.1 Size and Shape Specifiers in sign languages 233
11.2 Size and Shape Specifiers in YSL 234
11.3 Summary 238
Part V: Discussion & Conclusion
12 YSL in cross-linguistic perspective 241
12.1 The use of space in shared sign languages 242
12.1.1 The lack of metaphorical pointing 242
12.1.2 Limited use of spatial modification in transitive verbs 242
12.1.3 Restricted use of entity classifiers 243
12.2 Language-external factors and sign language structure 244
12.2.1 Age of language 245
12.2.2 Frame of reference 247
12.2.3 Size of community and context-dependency 249
12.2.4 Proportion of hearing signers 250
13 Concluding remarks 253
Appendix I: List of YSL handshapes 255
Appendix II: Figures 257
Appendix III: Data 258
Notes 259
References 271
Index 299
Curriculum vitae 303