Dr. Bill Vicars
Lifeprint.com
Linguistics of American
Sign Language
Lexical Categories
(5th Edition Pages 100 – 111)
Lexical = "words or
vocabulary"
Lexical Unit =
"a word" (or a sign)
Lexical Categories
=
Nouns Verbs Adjectives
Adverbs etc.
Can divide signs into two types:
“Content Signs” & “Function
Signs”
“Content Signs”
Examples:
nouns verbs
adjectives adverbs
Function signs
include:
pronouns prepositions conjunctions
What are some “Content Signs" lexical
categories?
noun verb adjective adverb
What are some
Function Signs lexical categories?
pronouns prepositions
and conjunctions
If a lexical category tends to accept new
signs it is "open."
If a lexical category
doesn’t accept new signs it is
"closed."
Example: Sometimes
we need new nouns…
MICROWAVE I-PHONE
E-Mail
We don't seem to
need new pronouns:
Existing pronouns
can refer to new nouns.
So we don't need
new pronouns.
So, the lexical category of "pronoun" is closed.
Name sign:
“Dr. Bill”
COMPUTER TABLE
THEORY = noun
Nouns include:
individuals …
Nouns tend to be countable.
How do you make a
noun plural in English?
Generally you add an "s"
How do you make a
noun plural in ASL?
brothers = BROTHER++
sisters = SISTER++
states of being …
Topic:"Adjectives"
Adjectives describe nouns
Adjective examples:
Adjectives tend to appear before nouns
Adj after noun =
"adjectival predicate"
Example: MOVIE, FUNNY
adj FUNNY (after
movie) acts as a verb
Ex: The movie is funny!
Adjectives can be
modified…
Adverbs are used
to…
indicate temporal frequency
modify adjectives
modify other
adverbs
English tends to use "-ly"
ASL modifies via
"articulation"
Articulation means…
"How a sign is
produced"
SIT-FOR-LONG-TIME
Adverbs also
indicate "when" …
Example: TOMORROW PRO-1 WORK
CLOSED LEXICAL
CATEGORIES…
Pronouns Modal_verbs Prepositions
& Conjunctions
What does a pronoun
do?
Represents an already identified…
English: he, she, it, them, us
How are ASL pronouns
different from English
pronouns?
ASL only has two
categories of pronouns:
1. Pronouns that point at oneself
2. Pronouns that point away from
self
PRO = you, he, she, it, they
English has 3 categories of
pronouns:
1st person: I
/ me
3rd person: he/she
Another difference: subject and
object pronouns
English: I / me
we / us he / him
ASL: initial location / final
location (direction)
ASL has "numeral
morphemes"…
ASL pronouns
can identify a specific number
PRO-MULTI-THREE (first
person)
PRO-MULTI-THREE (non-first person)
PRO-DUAL-1 = "WE-2"
Topic:"Modal Verbs"
Modal verbs express:
necessity or possibility
Usually modal verbs come before other verbs
Sometimes modal verbs come after a
verb
verb > modal verb =
"emphasis"
Topic: Modal Verb
"emphasis"
What is the difference
between these concepts in
ASL?...
should need-to
must
Playful intensity: MUST!-[4-fingers]
Topic: "prepositions"
Prepositions show
relationships of nouns
English: under, on, in, above,
with, do, etc.
ASL: "depiction"
depiction used to be
called "classifiers"
depiction = showing
how
Predicate = "says
something about"
"Predicate" =
"comment"
ASL prepositions
tend to incorporate…
more information, for
example…
INSIDE-(near_chest)+
= "inner feelings"
OLD FEELING
STILL INSIDE-MY-
CHEST
Topic: Conjunctions
Conjunctions join words or phrases
ASL conjunctions:
…
PRO BRING #TV, SHELF
PLUS S-O-F-A
PRO CAN GO STORE
UNDERSTAND HELP MOTHER
FIRST
Dr. Bill Vicars
Lifeprint.com