Exploring Lexical Categories in Sign Languages

1. Denis Bouchard Colette Dubuisson Anne-Marie Parisot Summer Institute in Cognitive Sciences 2003 UQAM Categories in LSQAn introduction

2. Outline Part (i) General questions about categoriesPart (ii)Nouns and VerbsPart (iii) Pronouns and DeterminersPart (iv) Adjectives and AdverbsPart (v) Why some pairs are distinct Conclusion

3. Part (i) General questions about categories 1- Lexical categories as universals: in what sense? All languages have them (covertly in some cases) Tool box (each language chooses from it) Humboldt’s caveat: Be careful in applying to an unknown language the categories of a known language that express a similar notion

4. Part (i) General questions about categories 2- What are the criteria for any particular category? Morphology Common inflections, derivational marking Syntax Category A combines with category B Semantics Difference in the way of signifying

5. Part (i) General questions about categories 3- What is stored? Categorized forms which are selected according to their category Noncategorized forms Categorization expresses a particular function of the item Noun: the ups and downs Prep: He ran up the stairs. Adv: She stood up Verb: They upped the prices.

6. Many Noun-Verb pairs are related by meaning and form features Noun-Verb pairs are phonologically distinct (Supalla & Newport 1978) Nouns: movement is repeated and reduced Verbs: movement is long, possibly repeated, and continuous or held Noun-Verb pairs are phonologically identical (Stokoe, Casterline & Croneberg 1965) Part (ii) Nouns and Verbs In American Sign Language

7. Some semantically related Noun-Verb pairs are phonologically distinct Part (ii) Nouns and Verbs In Langue des Signes Québécoise A brief comparison between ASL, Auslan and LSQ

9. Other phonologically distinct pairs Part (ii) Nouns and Verbs In Langue des Signes Québécoise BOAT / NAVIGATE DELIVERY / DELIVER DRINK / TO-DRINK CAMERA / FILM HIDING-PLACE / HIDE NAME / TO-NAME READING / READ

14. Other phonologically distinct pairsin context Part (ii) Nouns and Verbs In Langue des Signes Québécoise The deaf person makes a chair. The fireman sits on a bench.

17. But sometimes, in context, the movement of the verb is similar to that of the noun. On an old bus, I sit and shake.

18. SIT-SHAKE

19. The movement of the verb may be repeated and then not repeated in the same utterance. Some open the door, but others also ring (REPEAT) the bell at my appartment number. They ring (REPEAT) three times. They ring, they ring…

20. PMSONNER

21. Most semantically related Noun-Verb pairs are phonologically identical Part (ii) Nouns and VerbsIn Langue des Signes Québécoise ANNOUNCEMENT / ANNOUNCE AUTORISATION / AUTHORISE BREATH / BREATHE CANCELLATION / CANCEL CHOICE / CHOOSE DANCE / TO-DANCE DETERMINATION / DETERMINE DISCUSSION / DISCUSS EXPERIMENTATION / EXPERIMENT HELP / TO-HELP IMITATION / IMITATE INTERPRETER / INTERPRET INVENTION / INVENT INVITATION / INVITE OPENING / OPEN REASON / TO-REASON SALE / SELL TEACHING / TEACH WISH / TO-WISH WORK / TO-WORK

24. Most semantically related Noun-Verb pairs are phonologically identical in context (anchored signs) Part (ii) Nouns and VerbsIn Langue des Signes Québécoise Marie thinks about (REASON) all the points. Pierre explains the reasons one after another.

25. raison

27. Most semantically related Noun-Verb pairs are phonologically identical in context (non anchored signs) Part (ii) Nouns and VerbsIn Langue des Signes Québécoise Yesterday, Pierre interpreted all day. Yesterday, the interpreter was very sick.

30. Phonologically identical pairs are also found with other categories Nouns and Adjectivesnon anchored Part (ii) Nouns and VerbsIn Langue des Signes Québécoise For a teaching job, you must have competence. The competent teacher left.

33. Phonologically identical pairs are also found with other categories Nouns and Adjectivesanchored Part (ii) Nouns and VerbsIn Langue des Signes Québécoise The boy is living a big frustration. The frustrated boy sits down. Why? Because the other boys left.

36. Phonologically identical pairs are also found with other categories Verbs and Prepositions Part (ii) Nouns and VerbsIn Langue des Signes Québécoise The LSQ course contains what? Many cakes have nuts in (them)

39. Phonologically identical pairs are also found with other categories Adjectives and Adverbs Part (ii) Nouns and VerbsIn Langue des Signes Québécoise Pierre and Marie have a completely different character. In Quebec, French is the oral language. All UQAM professors taught me orally.

43. Phonologically identical pairs are also found with other categories Pronouns and Determiners Part (ii) Nouns and VerbsIn Langue des Signes Québécoise The boy, the girl, she loves him.

45. The category of an element is generally not determined by its phonological form, but by its function in a particular use. Descriptive generalization

46. 1- Locus 2- Quantity 3- Negation Phonologically identical Nouns and Verbs function differently Nouns generally identify a locus. Verbs relate to the established loci of their arguments Quantity is expressed by a numeral for a Noun. Quantity is expressed by repetition for a verb. Negation bears only on Verbs (Verb phrases). No negation on Noun alone.

47. 4- POSS 5- Aspect Phonologically identical Nouns and Verbs function differently POSS may only be used with Nouns. POSS does not combine with a Verb. Aspect bears on Verbs. Nouns cannot get aspectual markings.

48. 1- Locus Phonologically identical Nouns and Verbs function differently Nouns generally identify a locus. Verbs relate to the established loci of their arguments The lawyer goes and explains (it) to the judge.

50. 2- Quantity Phonologically identical Nouns and Verbs function differently Quantity is expressed by a numeral for a Noun. Quantity is expressed by repetition for a verb. At the pool competition, one old man beat, beat, beat…(beat everyone)