Grammar, Gesture, and Meaning in American Sign Language
eBook - PDF

Grammar, Gesture, and Meaning in American Sign Language

  1. English
  2. PDF
  3. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

Grammar, Gesture, and Meaning in American Sign Language

About this book

In sign languages of the deaf some signs can meaningfully point toward things or can be meaningfully placed in the space ahead of the signer. This obligatory part of fluent grammatical signing has no parallel in vocally produced languages. This book focuses on American Sign Language to examine the grammatical and conceptual purposes served by these directional signs. It guides the reader through ASL grammar, the different categories of directional signs, the types of spatial representations signs are directed toward, how such spatial conceptions can be represented in mental space theory, and the conceptual purposes served by these signs. The book demonstrates a remarkable integration of grammar and gesture in the service of constructing meaning. These results also suggest that our concept of 'language' has been much too narrow and that a more comprehensive look at vocally produced languages will reveal the same integration of gestural, gradient, and symbolic elements.

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Yes, you can access Grammar, Gesture, and Meaning in American Sign Language by Scott K. Liddell in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Languages & Linguistics & Sign Language. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Half-title
  3. Title
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. Contents
  7. Preface
  8. Acknowledgments
  9. 1 American Sign Language as a language
  10. 2 A sketch of the grammar of ASL
  11. 3 Pronouns and real space
  12. 4 Indicating verbs and real space
  13. 5 Surrogates
  14. 6 Directing signs at locations and things
  15. 7 Tokens
  16. 8 Buoys
  17. 9 Depicting verbs
  18. 10 Five brothers
  19. 11 Grammar, gesture, and meaning
  20. Appendix 1 Notational conventions: identifying signs
  21. Appendix 2 Notational conventions: direction and placement
  22. Appendix 3 Main types of spaces discussed
  23. References
  24. General index
  25. Index of illustrated signs