Linguistics Flashcards
define linguistics
- Linguistics is the scientific study of human language.
- broadly broken into 3 categories:
- language form
- language meaning
- language in context
why is linguistics important?
how is linguistics relevant?
what is linguistics structure?
2 parts:
- phonetics
- phonology
phonetics - linguistic structure
- the study of the physical properties of speech (or signed) production and perception.
- For example – the sound is part of a word, in BSL it would be the NMF, the sign, lip patterns, etc.
phonology - linguistics structure
- the study of sounds (or signs) as discrete, abstract elements in the speaker’s mind that distinguish meaning (phonemes) = the smallest building blocks of language construction.
- English has 26 phonemes (letters)
- BSL has 5 types of phonemes = things that make up a sign:
– handshape - location
- orientation,
- movement/direction
- NMFs.
example of phonemes in BSL
RAIN:
open handshape, located up near the forehead, orientation – palm down, downward movements and a blow of cheeks all make up the sign for rain.
morphology
- movement/direction and NMFs is putting bits together to make an idea
- It is a study of morphemes of which is the smallest building blocks of meaning in a language, or the internal structures of words and how they can be modified
- In English, this can be a word (of however many letters/syllables) or part of a word: for example –
a = 1 morpheme
but = 1 morpheme
hello = 1 morpheme
telephone = 2 morphemes
ice cream = 2 morphemes
syntax
- sign order of sentences, for example in BSL:
– your name what? Yesterday, weather awful.
In English – what is your name, the weather was awful yesterday
= It is the study of how words combine to form grammatical sentences
semantics
= the meaning of sentences
- for example – ‘you hungry’
= you can show this sign in two different ways to show the meaning: - one is by furrowing your eyebrows which shows that sign as a question
- the other is eyebrows up (NMF) showing sarcasm
The study of the meaning of words (lexical semantics) (Lexicon – word and Phraseology is word order) and fixed word combinations (phraseology), and how these combine to form the meanings of sentences
What is BSL?
BSL is the natural language of signs that has developed in Britain over time and is the language used by the deaf community
What is not BSL?
- Cued Speech
- Paget Gorman
- Signed (Exact) English
- Sign Supported English
- Fingerspelling
Human Languages
- Most human languages make use of eyes and ears
- All writing is based on spoken language
- However Sign language is different as it uses eyes and space for conveying – which is then perceived by other people’s eyes
- BSL is still a human language though it does not use sound
Lexicons
- established
- productive
established lexicons
- those found in a dictionary – i.e. words/signs known and understood by fluent signers
- typically nouns and many of these are easily translated into English words
- thus understood on their own or without any context
e.g. chair, sun
productive lexicons
- Created by signers using component parts combined to create a new meaning using the following:
- handshapes
- Movements
- Locations
- Orientations
- Non-manual features
e.g.
verbs
- plain
- agreement
- spatial
plain verbs
do not move through space to show grammatical information
e.g. love, run, think, think, eat, know, drink, understand, sleep
agreement verbs
also known as ‘directional verbs’ – moving into syntactic space
e.g. ask, give, telephone, give, ask, phone, describe, explain
spatial verbs
using topographical space
e.g. run, climb, drive to, walk, fall, diving, throw, catch
sign types
- frozen/ established
- productive
- indexical
- numbers
- name signs
- fingerspelling
fingerspelling categories
- double tap
- circular
- body contact
- ‘to & fro’ from body
- finger spelt (3 letter words)
- place-names
do we use one-hand or two-handed?
We use both!
One handed signs
One-handed signs [e.g. salt, Italy, who]
One-handed signs connecting with body [e.g. live, sick, silly]
Two-handed signs
Two-handed signs, where both hands are the same shape, active, identical actions without touching the body [e.g. bicycle, swimming, dead]
Two-handed signs, where both hands are the same shape, active, identical actions but contacting with each other [e.g. talk, brother, clash]
Two-handed signs, where both hands are the same shape, active, identical actions but also touching the body [e.g. cow, tired, Derby]
Two-handed signs, where the dominant hand is active and the submissive hand serves as the location for the movement, both hands may not have the same handshape [e.g. butter, opportunity, dithering]
negation
- facial expression
- head movement
- negation signs, e.g. never, not yet, impossible etc..
questions
- open = a longer answer is required, not just yes or no
- closed = a simple yes/no answer is required
- WH questions = what? where? why? etc..
- rhetorical = a question that doesn’t necessarily needs an answer and may be asked & answered by the signer himself
Classifiers
a productive part of BSL vocabulary and make use of handshapes and space to add meaning
- size + shape specifiers
- tracing
- handling + instrument
size + shape specifiers classifiers
describe the physical features of objects – e.g. flat objects are represented by flat handshapes
tracing classifiers
closely linked to size and shape specifiers, the hands give a clue to the shape – e.g. geometric shapes have G handshape – window, square
handling + instrument classifiers
categorise objects in terms of how people handle them – e.g. the closed fist is used to show gripping of narrow cylindrical objects such as ski pole
signing space
Physically the signing space is the same but used in two different ways
- topographic
- syntactic
topographic signing space
recreates a map of the object, e.g. when a room is described in BSL, things are placed in signing space according to where they actually are in relation to other items
= “mapping objects into ‘real’ space”
e.g.
syntactic signing space
created in the language by putting two ideas together to create a visual image even though they are not actually there e.g. I gave my mother a dog
= not real space where you place people/ object in locations, for ease of narrating your story
set up placement of each character and then refer
Place the mother (anywhere in the signing space) and give the dog (directional verb)
placement + referents
Important part of BSL grammar!
Placement allows the setting up of information in a visual way (topographical or syntactic) so that it can be used as a reference by pointing and (if need be) interacting with directional verbs
NMFs
- mouth patterns
- facial expressions
- role shift
- eye gaze
mouth patterns NMFs
Spoken components in signs [typically nouns or names or places] e.g. table, London, Ugo
Spoken components with first letter signs [purpose is to make meaning clearer] e.g. garage, confidence, berry,
Mouth movements – these are mouth patterns visually sign enacting e.g. bite, laugh, eat
Parallel mouth signs [also known as multi-channel signs] – mouth movements parallels movement of the hands e.g. really, very large, unpleasant, very small
facial expressions NMFs
Cheeks
Eyebrows
Eyelids
Eye gaze
The combination of the above are used to mark questions, vocabulary, topics and emotions
role shift NMFs
The Body – body shift can be left to right or forward to back shift to show different characters
Character Styles – using the age, physical, psychological state of the character are combined to create a style of signing
eye gaze NMFs
Eye Gaze is also part of Role Shift where the eyes can be used to show perhaps the characters’ height, status or placements, etc.
This is an important part of BSL and it has several purposes
purposes of eye gaze - NMFs
- Eye gaze is part of the sign
- In conjunction with location and movements of referents in signing space
- Role shift
- Distinguishing between rhetorical and genuine questions
- Inviting someone else to sign
- For marking time
- Hierarchy / Status
name signs
- place name signs
- brand names
- personal sign names
timelines/ tenses
Line A – Back shoulder to chin to front and vice versa
Line B – On arm
Line C – Front line across body
Line D – Low to high
Line E – Front body/ Front line
etc..
pragmatics
- the study of how utterances are used in communicative acts
- the role played by context and non-linguistic knowledge in the transmission of meaning
- It is extras to the word (like filling in the gaps), for example: in English it is ah, erm…
= in BSL it is waving fingers.
discourse analysis
the analysis of language use in texts (spoken, written, or signed) – translating language from text, for example: employment transcript. Watching video clips which means you have more time – NMFs change the translation.
stylistics
the study of linguistic factors (rhetoric, diction, stress) that place a discourse in context. There are different styles – formal and informal. The use of NMFs show the differences
semiotics
the study of signs and sign processes (semiosis), indication, designation, likeness, analogy, metaphor (you swap the sign for something else), symbolism, signification, and communication. It is the study of everything.
linguistics of sign language
Dr William Stokoe stated in the 1960s that ASL is a language in its right and with its grammar, syntax and semantics, etc.
He is considered a hero in the US Deaf community due to language recognition
Now referred to, worldwide, in linguistics research
BSL gloss
who will benefit from learn?ing at least the basic introduction of BSL linguistics
- Interpreters
- Teachers for the Deaf
- Social Workers
- People working in mental health settings
- People working in media
