speed of movement in signs

[Irene Greftegreff]

Quoting David Corina <corina at U.WASHINGTON.EDU>:

> Hello Rain, Susan and Rachel,
>
> I agree with Rachel, that one needs to find if speed is a recurring
> and systematic device for *phonological contrasts. Further It seems
> the pairs ARRIVE and PROVE has additional phonological differences
> (which
> however may become neurtalized in some contexts). In particular
> doesn't ARRIVE have a hand orientation change in the "wind-up" before
> contact ?

?!?

Does this orientation change happen when/if you try to produce ARRIVE
with a short movement?

I'm asking because there are two signs in Norwegian Sign Language (NTS)
with the same meaning that are similar to PROVE and ARRIVE ... but for
those signs there is no *orientation change* on the phonological level
that I'm aware of.

The NTS "ARRIVE" sign can be produced either with a "stiff" movement
without orientation change or with a "loose" movement with orientation
change. Conversely, an emphatic version of NTS "PROVE" with a long
trajectory of movement would also show orientation change.

At least in NTS the difference between the two signs appears to come from
the length of the trajectory the signs (or rather, their citation forms) -
 the question is exactly how to nail that difference down.

>PROVE seems not to need this. Repetition (2X) seems pretty
> standard for PROOF, and not ARRIVE. Native inutitions welcome.
>
> best
> David Corina

Irene
(not your native *ASL* signer, but interested in comparisons)