linguistics 2 Flashcards
Sentence Types in ASL (5)
Questions, Negation, Commands, Topicalization, Conditionals
Above Wh- Sentence
wh
QM-wiggle
added to end of sentence / q above sentence
Above Rhetorical Question
rh (above rhetorical Why)
Above Negation Question
neg
Above Command Sentence
asterisk
Above Topicalization Sentence
t above topic
Above conditional sentence
cond above conditional part of sentence
Semantics
study of the meaning of words or sentences or the study of rule-governed ways in which languages structure meaning
above Question (yes/no) sentence
q
NMS for yes/no question
eyebrows raised, eyes wide, head and body lean forward
NMS for Wh-questions
eyes squinted, head tilted, body may be forward
NMS for QMwg
same as yes/no; used when signer is surprised by info
NMS for Rhetorical
eyebrows raised, head may be tilted or may shake
NMS for Negation
head shake side to side, may frown or squint
NMS for Commands
direct eye contact with addressee, may frown, gloss with asterisks
NMS for topicalization
eyebrows raised, head tilted, possibly short pause
NMS for conditionals
eyebrows raised, head tilted, possibly short pause, eye gaze shift
how is meaning determined in semantics?
by its users. determine what the meaning of a given combination of sounds
dictionaries
- people who write them get their definitions by observing how they are used by people.
- leave out words that are commonly used
types of meaning
- referential
- social
- affective
referential meaning
the idea, thing or state of affairs described by the sign, word, or sentence
social meaning
vocabulary and sentence choices reveal something about your social identity
affective meaning
provides info about signer’s feelings, attitudes, or opinions concerning a piece of info
Denotation vs connotation
denotation is the dictionary meaning AKA referential meaning.
connotation is the social and affective meaning
hyponyms and hypernyms
one word represents a group of idea (Family is a hypernym and mother, father, children are hyponyms
part/whole relationship
related because one is a piece of another
synonyms
two words or signs that mean the same
antonyms
two words that are opposite
2 types of antonyms
- gradable - can have varying degrees: hotter, bigger, darker
- non-gradable - come up in either/or situations: pregnant/not pregnant, married/single
converse words
words that show relationships: mother/child, teacher/student
metaphor
an extension of the use of a word or sign beyond its primary meaning to describe referents that are similar to the words or signs primary referent.
3 types of metaphors
- orientational
- ontological
- structural
Orientational metaphor
rely on spatial info to communicate the metaphor. In English, “up” seen as positive as it Cheer up. In ASL, HAPPY is signed upwards, DEPRESSED is signed downwards
Ontological metaphor
treat abstract entities, states, and events as they were objects. In English, “barely keep your head up.” In ASL, FALL-INTO
Structural metaphor
treat one concept in terms terms of another more tangible one. In English, time is money. In ASL, FEEL, SICK have the same handshape and is metaphorical cuz there is nothing emotional about the handshape. they have become associated with those meanings.
Is word order in English important?
yes
Function words or morphemes indicate…
- tense
- aspect
- reference
- deixis
Deixis
marks the orientation or position of objects and events with respect to certain points of reference.
Personal Deixis
personal pronouns PRO-1
Spatial Deixis
establish where a person or object is in space, INDEX-right
Temporal Deixis
position or orientation of action or events in time
Sociolinguistics
study of how language and social structure influence each other
variation
people have different ways of saying more or less the same thing
language variation (4)
- phonology
- morphology
- syntax
- lexicon
phonology language variation
sounds are different
In English, pahk vs park
In ASL, one change in handshape, location, movement, or orientation (LIVE)
morphology language variation
morphemes are different
In English, you vs. yall
syntax language variation
tense can be different
In English, if i were you vs. if i was you
In ASL, subject in some sentences can be dropped if no confusion
lexicon language variation
entire word is different
In English, soda vs. pop vs. coke
In ASL, sign looks completely different but same meaning (HERE)
Other variations
Regional, social, ethnic, gender, age, historical
Regional variation in ASL
more than in spoken language cuz no writing system, countries have different schools and Deaf clubs
Historical variation
happens in all language. normally affects vocab and phonology.
In English, Latin became romance language
In sign language, two signs become one (HOME)
bilingualism
knowing 2 languages and being able to use those languages appropriately in their respective cultures
reasons for bilingualism (6)
- people relocated and forced to acquire another language
- people live in mulitlingual area
- people gain independence
- people lose independence
- educational language
- urbanization and intermarriage
when 2 languages used in same country (2)
- maintained bilingualism
2. language death - one disappears
pidgin
people using 2 different languages come together and need a way to communicate. create new system with features from each language. very simple communication systems with little grammar
creole
result of a pidgin being used for so long that children are born into the situation and acquire the pidgin as their first language. becomes altered from the pidgin their parents use, become more complex with rich grammatical structures
lexical borrowing
one language incorporates a word from another language into their lexical system
In English, taco, feng shui
In ASL, AUSTRALIA, ITALY, JAPAN
Code switching
bilingual person use one language and switches to another
foreigner talk
proficient bilingual is communicating with someone who is less proficient in their second language
interference
bilingual unconsciously uses parts of one language in another.
Language contact b/n signed and spoken language (rules)
words “borrowed” from English are HOME-SICK, BOY-FRIEND, HOME-WORK. the concept of putting the two words together was borrowed from English but the result is a sign and not a spoken word, so it’s NOT a instance of borrowing.
Fingerspelling (language contact w/ signed and spoken languages)
English influenced on type of fingerspelling used but it’s not English (LIFE - #STYLE)
Mouthing (language contact w/ signed and spoken languages)
signers use full English mouthing (no signs or voice) a spoken word (okay, really) or use lexicalized mouthing with no signs (fsh for finish or af for have)
Manually Coded English (MCE)
Invented systems that were made to represent every aspect of spoken English on the hands
Linguistic features of Pidgin Signed English (PSE)
Not a true pidgin
English word order, prepositions, constructions with THAT, English idioms, English mouthing
