{"title":"On Elicited Data in Sign Language Syntax","authors":"Jessica Lettieri, M. Santoro, Carlo Geraci","doi":"10.31009/feast.i5.08","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31009/feast.i5.08","url":null,"abstract":"We present a proof of concept that sign language elicited data are as reliable as experimentaldata. We use data reported in the recently published reference grammar of ItalianSign Language (Branchini and Mantovan 2020) to create a formal experiment contrastinggrammatical sentences with sentences that minimally violate the rule. On aforced-choice task, participants prefer sentences that follow the rule significantly moreoften than sentences that violate it. The experimental results obtained in this studyproves that elicited data are reliable.","PeriodicalId":164096,"journal":{"name":"FEAST. Formal and Experimental Advances in Sign language Theory","volume":"39 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139003174","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The relationship between place of articulation and semantic features in a corpus of astronomical neologisms in Quebec Sign Language","authors":"Laurence Gagnon, Anne-Marie Parisot","doi":"10.31009/feast.i5.05","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31009/feast.i5.05","url":null,"abstract":"While the presence of a phonological level is not modality-dependent, modality doeshave an impact on the phonological structure of languages, as illustrated by the significantincorporation of simultaneity into the organization of sign languages compared towhat is found in spoken languages (e.g. Fenlon, Cormier, and Brentari 2017). Modalityalso allows for greater representation of iconicity in sign form(e.g. Östling, Börstell, andCourtaux 2018; Taub 2012). Considering the iconic potential offered by the visuo-spatialmodality of sign languages, this paper aims to answer the following research question:Does semantic motivation, and more precisely iconic motivation, influence the formationof structural components of signs, and specifically, the place of articulation (POA)for the lexical creation of astronomical signs in Quebec Sign Language (LSQ)? We hypothesizedthat, given the semantic domain for which the neologisms were created (i.e.,one that denotes physical/concrete objects, located far from humans), the POA wouldbe distal. Based on a descriptive analysis of the POA sublexical features of 99 neologismsof astronomy in LSQ, we found very little involvements of the POA in the representationof the referent. Although we can explain these results by articulatory-perceptual considerations,we suggest that the semantic domain could also interfere in the creation ofthose neologisms.","PeriodicalId":164096,"journal":{"name":"FEAST. Formal and Experimental Advances in Sign language Theory","volume":"22 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138971769","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Experiencer object (EO) Constructions in ASL","authors":"Sandra K. Wood, R. Wilbur","doi":"10.31009/feast.i5.18","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31009/feast.i5.18","url":null,"abstract":"The problem that we address is a repeated claim that sign languages do not have experiencerobject (EO) constructions. We survey the history of research that has led tothis perspective and, with hindsight, provide some explanations for why EO verbs wereoverlooked. We present new data that shows that EO constructions do exist in ASL andoccur robustly in a variety of contexts. We illustrate 3 of these contexts here (followingTemme 2018): (1) when co-occurring with inanimate subjects, (2) when they are in embeddedclauses, and (3) when they occur in narratives or dialogues in which they arenot providing new information. We offer a pragmatic rather than a syntactic or semanticexplanation for why EO constructions are often rejected, namely that their functionof describing a caused experiential reaction in the experiencer object makes them poorcandidates to serve as the main focus of a narrative (e.g., not the target elicited punchline)or in an out-of-the-blue isolated sentence.","PeriodicalId":164096,"journal":{"name":"FEAST. Formal and Experimental Advances in Sign language Theory","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139001375","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A preliminary description of haptices in Italian social-haptic communication","authors":"Laura Volpato","doi":"10.31009/feast.i5.17","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31009/feast.i5.17","url":null,"abstract":"Deafblind individuals experience a combination of partial/complete loss of hearing andsight. They use a variety of communication modes, amongst which social-haptic communication(SHC), which consists of brief tactile messages performed on the body ofthe deafblind person (haptices). A phonological-like structure can be observed in SHCif we consider the smallest units of touch individuated by Lahtinen (2008), called haptemes.Haptemes can create minimal contrasts in haptices. This contribution discusseswhether the recently created Italian haptices also have a phonological structure. Accordingto a preliminary analysis, Italian haptices seem to have their own formof phonology,which responds to physical constraints of signal transmission (such as tactile perceptibility)and to pragmatic contextual factors.","PeriodicalId":164096,"journal":{"name":"FEAST. Formal and Experimental Advances in Sign language Theory","volume":"24 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139001496","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Interpretation and the explicitation process","authors":"Campbell McDermid, Carrie Humphrey, Anita Harding","doi":"10.31009/feast.i5.11","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31009/feast.i5.11","url":null,"abstract":"Historically, most research has focused on the ability of sign language interpreters towork from English as a source text into American Sign Language (ASL) as a target text.Little has been done on their ability to work from ASL into spoken English. To addressthat gap, a pilot study was done to examine the English target texts of 22 interpreterswho were asked to simultaneously interpret 4 short ASL monologues. The focus of thispilotwas on the incorporation of the articles, “a/an” and “the” and the coordinating conjunctions,“for,” “and,” “nor,” “but,” “or,” “yet,” and “so” in the participants’ English targettexts. The findings indicate that the interpreters did include these even when anequivalent structure was not produced as a manual, lexical item by the native signers intheir ASL stories. Their adaptations served to potentially strengthen the English targettexts by possibly reducing the cognitive load needed to comprehend the utterances byan English-speaking audience, and indicate that decisionswere made by the interpretersto include these structures.","PeriodicalId":164096,"journal":{"name":"FEAST. Formal and Experimental Advances in Sign language Theory","volume":"22 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139002976","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Agents","authors":"Elena E. Benedicto","doi":"10.31009/feast.i5.02","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31009/feast.i5.02","url":null,"abstract":"This paper examines the syntactic operations taking place in ASL that encode the additionof an agent argument to intransitive motion predicates. Previous studies had showna structural correlation between, on the one hand, handling classifiers and agents incontinuous contact with the undergoer and, on the other hand, body part classifiersand agents in non-continuous contact with the undergoer. Here, a syntactic operationis identified, head movement of π-GO to ν-AG, whose presence yields the continuouscontactinterpretation, while its absence yields the non-continuous contact interpretation.We also find that the body part classifier correlation with non-continuous contactinterpretation constitutes a frequency effect and not a grammar effect: though infrequent,structures with body part classifiers can undergo π-GO to ν-AG, which results, aspredicted, in a continuous interpretation. Thus, this works illustrates the differencesbetween frequency and grammar: grammar provides the range of potential structuresexisting in the language, while frequency reflects either personal or context choice orpreference.","PeriodicalId":164096,"journal":{"name":"FEAST. Formal and Experimental Advances in Sign language Theory","volume":"32 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139002740","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Intuitions of native Japanese Sign Language signers onmouthing words with multiple pronunciations","authors":"Martin Dale-Hench","doi":"10.31009/feast.i5.03","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31009/feast.i5.03","url":null,"abstract":"Mouthings in signed languages have traditionally been understood as derived from spokenlanguages, and Japanese Sign Language (JSL) is no exception. However, Bauer andKyuseva (2022) has suggested that it is also a written language-contact phenomenon, astheir Russian Sign Language mouthing study shows that RSL signers mouth shapes thatpeople using spoken Russian would not. This study focuses on Japanese Sign Languageuser’s mouthing patterns when producing a word that has multiple possible mouthings.Spoken Japanese have multiple readings for the same logographic character, kanji, someJapanese-derived (kun-yomi), and some Chinese-derived (on-yomi). Fluent JSL signerswere asked to produce JSL signs for two sets: one for concepts with kun-yomi readingsin spoken language, and for objects ordinarily expressed with two or more kanji with onyomireadings. The findings show that JSL signers overwhelmingly use kun-yomi in theirmouthings, even for words read in on-yomi in spoken Japanese. In sum, this paper corroboratesBauer and Kyuseva’s finding that mouthings are not necessarily a completelyspoken language-contact phenomenon.","PeriodicalId":164096,"journal":{"name":"FEAST. Formal and Experimental Advances in Sign language Theory","volume":"116 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139002134","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The contribution of individual parameters to perceived iconicity and transparency in gesture-sign pairs","authors":"Door Spruijt, Pamela Perniss, Petra B. Schumacher","doi":"10.31009/feast.i5.16","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31009/feast.i5.16","url":null,"abstract":"It is often assumed that gestures are more iconic than signs, as they do not have to conformto a linguistic system. This study introduces an expanded methodology to explore(a) the relative transparency and iconicity of silent gestures and signs, and (b) the iconicityof three individual parameters (handshape, location and movement). We elicitedmeaning guesses and iconicity ratings (both whole-item and for each parameter) fromsign-naive participants for both gestures and signs. Pilot data provide no evidence fordifferences in transparency and iconicity of gestures and signs, butwe do find interestingexamples of signs rated as more iconic than gestures. The iconicity of all three parametersis correlated with the iconicity of the whole item in both gestures and signs, butthere may be a role for iconic strategies and the saliency of individual parameters. Withthis method, we provide a novel, more fine-grained manner of investigating iconicity inthe manual modality.","PeriodicalId":164096,"journal":{"name":"FEAST. Formal and Experimental Advances in Sign language Theory","volume":"2012 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139001934","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Are We DONE Yet? A corpus-based analysis of DONE as a sentence-boundary diagnostic in DGS","authors":"Elena Jahn, Gabriele Langer, Cornelia Loos","doi":"10.31009/feast.i4.07","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31009/feast.i4.07","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":164096,"journal":{"name":"FEAST. Formal and Experimental Advances in Sign language Theory","volume":"254 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123121577","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Elena Benedicto, Paula J. Rodriguez-M, Esther Rivera
{"title":"Where does that [EyeGaze] go?","authors":"Elena Benedicto, Paula J. Rodriguez-M, Esther Rivera","doi":"10.31009/feast.i4.02","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31009/feast.i4.02","url":null,"abstract":"In this paper we analyze the non-manual marker EyeGaze as a grammatical function marker in motion predicates in American Sign Language (ASL). We detect the use of EyeGaze in endpoint locatives only (as opposed to potential goal locatives) and in the head of the classifier predicate itself. Along the lines of Nichols’ (1986) typology, we identify the former as GF-marking on the constituent (that is, Case) and the latter as GF-marking on the Head (that is, agreement). We also identify the coexistence of these two patterns in the same utterance: Case in the endpoint locative and agreement on the classifier. Therefore, ASL falls under the Double-Marking language type. In this respect, thus, ASL aligns with crosslinguistic patterns documented elsewhere.","PeriodicalId":164096,"journal":{"name":"FEAST. Formal and Experimental Advances in Sign language Theory","volume":"13 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134394223","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}