A Particle of Indefiniteness in American Sign Language
We describe here the characteristics of a very frequently-occurring ASL indefinite focus particle, which has not previously been recognized as such. We show here that, despite its similarity to the question sign "WHAT", the particle is distinct from that sign in terms of articulation, func...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Dartmouth College Library
2003-01-01
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| Series: | Linguistic Discovery |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1349/PS1.1537-0852.A.142 |
| _version_ | 1819056490049175552 |
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| author | Carol Neidle Frances Conlin Paul Hagstrom |
| author_facet | Carol Neidle Frances Conlin Paul Hagstrom |
| author_sort | Carol Neidle |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We describe here the characteristics of a very frequently-occurring ASL indefinite focus particle, which has not previously been recognized as such. We show here that, despite its similarity to the question sign "WHAT", the particle is distinct from that sign in terms of articulation, function, and distribution. The particle serves to express "uncertainty" in various ways, which can be formalized semantically in terms of a domain-widening effect of the same sort as that proposed for English "any" by Kadmon & Landman (1993). Its function is to widen the domain of possibilities under consideration from the typical to include the non-typical as well, along a dimension appropriate in the context. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T13:24:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-02467454cdfd4a21adf8bf4db1643151 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1537-0852 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T13:24:14Z |
| publishDate | 2003-01-01 |
| publisher | Dartmouth College Library |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Linguistic Discovery |
| spelling | doaj.art-02467454cdfd4a21adf8bf4db16431512022-12-21T19:02:30ZengDartmouth College LibraryLinguistic Discovery1537-08522003-01-012110.1349/PS1.1537-0852.A.142142A Particle of Indefiniteness in American Sign LanguageCarol NeidleFrances ConlinPaul HagstromWe describe here the characteristics of a very frequently-occurring ASL indefinite focus particle, which has not previously been recognized as such. We show here that, despite its similarity to the question sign "WHAT", the particle is distinct from that sign in terms of articulation, function, and distribution. The particle serves to express "uncertainty" in various ways, which can be formalized semantically in terms of a domain-widening effect of the same sort as that proposed for English "any" by Kadmon & Landman (1993). Its function is to widen the domain of possibilities under consideration from the typical to include the non-typical as well, along a dimension appropriate in the context.http://dx.doi.org/10.1349/PS1.1537-0852.A.142ASLSign LanguageindefiniteQuestionWH-question |
| spellingShingle | Carol Neidle Frances Conlin Paul Hagstrom A Particle of Indefiniteness in American Sign Language Linguistic Discovery ASL Sign Language indefinite Question WH-question |
| title | A Particle of Indefiniteness in American Sign Language |
| title_full | A Particle of Indefiniteness in American Sign Language |
| title_fullStr | A Particle of Indefiniteness in American Sign Language |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Particle of Indefiniteness in American Sign Language |
| title_short | A Particle of Indefiniteness in American Sign Language |
| title_sort | particle of indefiniteness in american sign language |
| topic | ASL Sign Language indefinite Question WH-question |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1349/PS1.1537-0852.A.142 |
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