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Transcript
Dr. Bill Vicars
Lifeprint.com
ASL Linguistics:
Semantics
What is the sign
for NAME?
What is the sign
for ROME?
LIS = Italian Sign Language
Lingua dei Segni Italiana
Meaning is
determined by…
… a specific community of users.
Determined = decided = agreed
Dictionary problem:
Same sign / different glosses
Can you think of any signs that
have more than one English
interpretation?
Lets discuss types of
meaning…
3 types of meaning
…
Referential Social Affective
Referential meaning
…
idea, thing,
state of affairs
CAT = 4 legs, tail, whiskers,
etc.
The "cat" is a referent of
the sign CAT.
REFER = NAME-(verb)
REFER = LABEL
-
Social Meaning
…
Sign choices reveal social information
where from
male or female
African American
or Caucasian
example: AWFUL
Affective Meaning
…
Sign choices reflect your…
feelings, attitudes, opinions
Example: "fascinating research"
vs…
"boring old
project"
Shows your
attitude
affective = feelings
Referential meaning = What
Social meaning = Who
Affective meaning
= How feel
Referential meaning = denotation
Social and Affective
meaning = Connotation
Example: “dEAF” =denotation
Example: DEAF = connotation
What is a lexicon?
A set of words
known by users of a language.
Lexicon = Vocabulary
set
What is a Lexical item?
A word (or sign).
The study of semantics includes
considering…
Relationships of meaning between
“lexical items” (words or signs)
Ways words are related in meaning
Will teach you six ways.
Consider: APPLE & CAR
APPLE & CARAre not related
Consider:
BLUE RED YELLOW GREEN
ORANGE PURPLE
…are types of what?
COLOR
BLUE, RED, etc. have a relationship with COLOR
That relationship
is called:
1. Hyponymy
BLUE, RED, YELLOW, etc. are
hyponyms
COLOR is a
hypernym
Example:
Sign Language: ASL, LSF, LIS, LSQ
“hyper” means
“over” or above.
Is "RED" a color?
Duh. I have a point.
Consider: HAND & ARM
Is a HAND an
ARM?
No.
We are not
discussing hyponymy.
New type of
meaning…
The relationship between a
hand and an arm is a:
2. Part/Whole Relationship
Another example:
PHONOLOGY and
LINGUISTICS
Note…
RED is a type of color…
HAND is a part of an
arm.
Phonology is not a type
of linguistics.
Phonology is a part of
linguistics.
So far we’ve talked about what
two types of relationships
between signs?
1. Hyponymy 2. Part/Whole
New relationship…
Consider: soda &
pop
sofa & couch
Two words that mean the same
thing are…
Synonyms
3. Synonymy
Consider however:
“Denotative Synonymy” means …
“Refer to the same
thing.”
Two signs can denote (or refer to) the same thing but
have a different connotation (social
or affective meaning).
Can have different
connotative meaning.
Connotatively not
synonymous
Connotative = social and
affective
Connotative = who & how
feel
DEAF ("index" hand) & DEAF (A-5 hand) are denotatively similar
(synonymy) but connotatively dissimilar.
DEAF ("index" hand) & DEAF (A-5 hand) both refer to the concept of
“not hearing” but the two signs are different in
terms of WHO uses them and HOW the user feels
about being “Deaf.”
Are BED & #BED an
example of Synonymy
????
Maybe at a basic
referential level.
But they tend to be used
differently in actual
conversation.
BED & #BED are not synonymous at the sentence or conversation
level.
That means not synonymous at the "discourse"
level.
“Discourse" tends to mean
the use of sentences or
having a conversation.
Can you think of another pair of ASL
lexicon that has sign version and a
lexicalized fingerspelling
version?
CAR and #CAR
BUSY and #BUSY
EARLY and #EARLY
So far we’ve talked about what
three types of relationships
between signs?
1. 2.
3.
1. Hyponymy
2. Part/Whole
3. Synonymy
New relationship…
Consider: LARGE
and SMALL
They are opposite
in meaning.
4. Antonymy
= opposites
There are two types
of Antonymy
Gradable & Non-
gradable
Gradable = levels, degrees, relative
Example: LARGER vs SMALLER
Non-gradable = one or the other but not both
Example: PREGNANT
ALIVE or DEAD
Gradable: English uses “-er"
Gradable: ASL often
uses "depiction"
Example: "LIMO" vs V W Bug
THICK BOOK vs THICKER
BOOK
ASL Gradation may also
use…
Nonmanual signals ex: pursed lips
/ cha.
and structure changes,
ex:
LIMO moves hands
further.
Consider: GOOD &
BAD
English GOOD/BAD phonological
forms different
ASL GOOD/BAD phonological
forms similar
Reversal of orientation
for antonymy
Examples…
LIKE
DON'T-LIKE
WANT
DON'T-WANT
KNOW
DON'T-KNOW
1. 2. 3.
4.
1. Hyponymy 2. Part/Whole 3. Synonymy 4. Antonymy
New Relationship…
Consider: WIFE &
HUSBAND
TEACHER STUDENT
AUNT NIECE
5.
Converseness
Converseness is sort of
similar to antonymy
Converseness happens in
pairs
often phonologically similar
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
1. Hyponymy2. Part/Whole3. Synonymy 4. Antonymy
5. Converseness
New relationship…
6. Metaphor
Metaphor = extension of
meaning
Consider:
Orientational Metaphor example…
DEPRESSED
TIRED
THRILLED
HAPPY
Up = positive meaning
Down = negative meaning
Up = present
(APPEAR)
Down = absent
(DISAPPEAR)
-
Ontological means …
... relating to or based upon being
or existence.
The iconic nature of
ASL …
is ontological
Signs (often) look-
like what they are.
A sign often looks like…
…somethin
g that exists.
The sign ANALYSIS
is …
mapped to the sign
DIGGING…
which is mapped
to …
the real life act of digging.
Ontological metaphors
treat abstract…
entities states and events as if they were objects.
"Digging into your psyche."
"FALL-INTO an area of
interest"
"HOLD-ONTO
that idea"
-
Structural Metaphor:
Treat abstract concepts in
terms of a more concrete concept.
"Time is money."
ASL ex: TIME-"run
out of"
-
Metaphor: 1. Orientational 2.
Ontological 3. Structural
4.
4. Families of signs
What signs can you do
with an open-8
handshape?
FEEL
EXCITE
DEPRESS
PITY
SICK
SENSITIVE
…other example
…
Can you think of some signs
that seem related to “NOT”?
DENY
REFUSE
BLAME
SUFFER
Metaphor: 1. 2. 3. 4.
Metaphor:1. Orientational 2.
Ontological 3. Structural
4. Sign Families
There are more types of meaning. Today we’ve discussed six.