The Syntax of American Sign Language: Functional Categories and Hierarchical Structure

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

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780262512213
Publisher:	MIT Press
Publication date:	07/01/2008
Series:	Language, Speech, and Communication
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	239
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Carol Neidle is Professor of French Linguistics and Director of the Linguistics Program at Boston University.

Judy Kegl is Professor of Linguistics and Director of the Signed Language Research Lab at the University of Southern Maine.

Benjamin Bahan is Professor/Codirector of Program Development for 6th Street Project in the ASL and Deaf Studies Program at Gallaudet University.

Table of Contents

Preface
1 Introduction
1.1 Organization of the Book
1.2 Reporting of Data
1.3 Theoretical Backdrop
2 Methodological Considerations
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Sociolinguistic ConteXt
2.3 Data Collection
2.4 Transcription and Analysis of Data
2.5 Data Dissemination
2.6 Chapter Summary
3 Language in the Visual Modality
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Articulation of Signs
3.3 Spatial Representation of Linguistic Information
3.4 Uses of Nonmanual Markings
3.5 Conclusions
4 Delimiting CP
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Common ClauseEXternal Constructions
4.3 Word Order and Hierarchical Structure
4.4 Chapter Sumamry
5 Tense and Agreement in the Clause
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Agreement
5.3 Tense
5.4 The Hierarchical Structure of the ASL Clause
5.5 Chapter Summary
6 Determiners and Agreement in DP
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Determiners
6.3 Possessive Constructions
6.4 Agreement
6.5 Chapter Summary
7 WhQuestions
7.1 Introduction
7.2 The Case for Rightward WhMovement in ASL
7.3 Agreements and Disagreements about the Data
7.4 Alternative Accounts in Terms of Leftward WhMovement
7.5 Conclusions
8 Conclusions
8.1 Findings Counter to Prior Claims about ASL
8.2 Findings Consistent with Other Theoretical Results
8.3 Findings That Shed Light on Current Theoretical Debates
8.4 Closing Thoughts
AppendiX Notational Conventions
A.1 Representation of Manual Signs
A.2 Use of Indices and Related Diacritics
A.3 Specific Manual Signs Important to This Work
A.4 Nonmanual Markings
A.5 Dominant versus Nondominant Hand and Marking of Perseveration
Notes
References
IndeX

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Dazzling—of great interest to linguists in general and sign-languagescholars in particular. There are fresh arguments and evidence for manyimportant claims about UG and ASL." Harlan Lane, University Distinguished Professor, Northeastern
University

The MIT Press

Patrick T. Harker

This book should be on the shelf of every serious scholar of service management, human resource management, and financial institutions.

Harlan Lane

Dazzling--of great interest to linguists in general and sign-language scholars in particular. There are fresh arguments and evidence for many important claims about UG and ASL.
— Harlan Lane, University Distinguished Professor, Northeastern University