Today we are going to make sure you understand and are able to give examples of the following sentence types:

Yes/No questionWh-QuestionRhetorical QuestionNegationCommandTopicalizationConditionalDeclarative

Linguistics SyntaxPages 89 –98 5th Edition

Warm up and Review:

Question: What are the building blocks used in phonology?

Answer: Individual features of signs.

Question: What does "individual features of signs" mean?

Answer: Handshape, Location, Orientation, Holds & Movements, NMM"s

Question: What are the building blocks used in Morphology?

Answer: "units of meaning"

Question: (Review) List 5 ways to create or come up with new signs in ASL.[5th Edition pg 59]

Derive nouns from verbs, (SIT to CHAIR)

Compound two existing free morphemes, (THINK + MARRY = BELIEVE)

Represent English orthographic symbols via special signs known as "fingerspelling" and then

Lexicalize those signs, (#BACK or #JOB)

Borrow a sign from another signed language, (ITALY-[new-version], CHINA-[new-version])

Agentive Suffix: TEACHERLAWYERACTOR

Question: (Review) What is the difference between "derivational morphology" and "inflectional morphology?" [5th Ed, pgs 58-59]

In "derivational morphology" we "derive" or "come up with or create" new "units" (words) for a language. [Think of "word classes": nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc.]

In "inflectional morphology" we are not creating "new" units, rather we are tweaking existing units. We are adding grammatical information (such as "who did what to whom," "how long something went on," or "how many of something there are" – plurality, etc.).

Question: The number of sentences that can be produced in a language is infinite. This is known as what characteristic of language?

Answer: Productivity

We have been looking at basic rules for word order.Now let’s consider some basic sentence types in ASL.

91 [5th Ed.]Now let’s consider some basic sentence types in ASL.Five basic sentence types tend to have very specific nonmanual features: questionsnegationscommandstopicalizationconditionalsdeclaratives

92 [5th Ed.] 127[4th Ed.]

Yes-No QuestionsEnglish = Voice rise up at end of sentence

ASL Yes/no Questions

eyebrows raise(may) tilt head(may) lean body forward(may) raise shoulders(may) hold last sign longer

Page 128 (4th Ed.) 92 (5th Ed.)

Note: The former symbol for glossing of Yes-No questions was a “q” on a line above the question phrase.(Old)_________qMAN HOMELately we are using "y/n" instead:(New)_________y/nMAN HOME

5th Edition changes from 4th Edition:

Symbol for glossing of Yes-No questions is now a “y/n” on a line above the question phrase._________y/nMAN HOME

92 [5th Ed.] 129 [4th Ed.]

\Question Mark

Note: Used to be called "Question Mark Wiggle," now just called "Question Mark." Used to be glossed as QM-wg.

Now just glossed as QUESTION-MARK.

QUESTION-MARK:Tends to be used when signer is surprised or when something is unexpected.Compare to the English: (Really????)

Also used when double checking or incredulous.

Page 93 [5th Ed.] 128 (4th Ed.)

Wh-questions

Wh-questions tend to use signs like:Where / Who / When / What / Why

Page 128 (4th Ed.) Page 93 (5th Ed.)

Wh-question nonmanual marker:eyebrow squint(may) head tilt(may) lean slightly forward(may) hunch shoulders

Example:______whMAN WHERE

Page 129 (4th Ed.) Page 93 (5th Ed.)

129 [4th Ed.]94 [5th Ed.]

Rhetorical Questions:

Look like questions but the signer doesn’t expect an answer.

Page 130 [4th Edition] page 94 [5th Ed.]

Note:

Rhetorical QuestionsThe gloss for a rhetorical question used to be “rhet” but is now just "rh":Example: rhPRO.1 TIRED WHY STUDY ALL-NIGHT

Common signs used for rhetorical questions include:REASONWHENWHOWHATWHEREFOR-FOR

p. 130 4th Ed.

p. 130 4th Ed. p. 94 [5th Ed.]

Rhetorical Question nonmanual marker:Raised eyebrowsSlight shake or tilt of the head

Dr. Bill’s note:Think of a rhetorical as asking: “Do you want to know why?”“Do you want to know who?”“Do you want to know what for?”“Do you want to know where?”

Those are actually yes/no questions and thus use a yes-no nonmanual marker.

Page 94 [5th Ed.]

Page 130 [4th Ed.]

Negation

Page 131 [4th Ed.] Page 94 [5th Ed.]

The process of changing an affirmative sentence to a negative is called negation.

Nonmanual signals: shaking the head from side to side(may) frown(may) squint

Gloss symbol: “neg”Example _______negMAN HOME

95 [5th Ed.] 131 [4th Ed.]

Commands:

Also called “imperatives”English deletes the subject.

Ex: “Sit down!”ASL Ex: *SIT* 

Commands:

Nonmanual markers:Making direct eye contact(maybe) frowning

Dr. Bill’s notes:Commands tend to modify the movements to be larger and the holds to be longer—especially at the end of the sign.

131 [4th Ed.] 95 [5th Ed.]

Topicalization:

Topicalization is when the object of the sentence is moved to the front of the sentence.

Instead of signing: The father loves the child: “FATHER LOVE CHILD”

You might sign:

The child is loved by the father: “CHILD, FATHER LOVE”

Topicalization NMMs:Raised eyebrowshead tiltmaybe short pause

Example: HOMEWORK, PRO.1 DETEST

132 [4th Ed.] 96 [5th Ed.]

Conditionals#IFSUPPOSE

Conditionals:

Nonmanual signal very important:

* Raised eyebrows* Head tilt*( (maybe) short pause

127 Declarative sentences do not seem to be marked by any particular nonmanual signal as are other sentence types in ASL

Example:

______________cond

TOMORROW RAIN, GAME CANCEL

97 [5th Ed.]

The Importance of Nonmanual Signals:

Declarative: You are home.Yes-no question: Are you home?Negation: You aren't home.Command: Go home!

Page 132 4th Ed. Page 97 5th Ed.

See: Page 98, 5th Ed. for a very nice summary of sentence types and accompanying nonmanual signals.

Activity: Give me examples of the following sentence types:

Yes/No questionWh-QuestionRhetorical QuestionNegationCommandTopicalizationConditionalDeclarative