sign language typology - project announcement

[Ulrike Zeshan]

NEW SIGN LANGUAGE TYPOLOGY PROJECT  o  CALL FOR PARTICIPATION

Dear list members,

After the successful completion of the first large cross-linguistic
study on negative and interrogative constructions in sign languages,
this message is to announce the beginning of another project in sign
language typology, which will focus on possessive constructions.

The cross-linguistic research project on negative and interrogative
constructions coordinated research with 18 individuals or groups of
participants from all continents around the world. An edited volume with
contributions from 11 countries/regions has just been submitted for
publication. The new project will be organized similarly to the first
one. For further information about the first project, see these
references:

Zeshan, Ulrike (2004a): Hand, Head and Face  o  Negative Constructions in
Sign Languages. Linguistic Typology 8:1, 1-57.
Zeshan, Ulrike (2004b): Interrogative constructions in sign languages
™ë ross-linguistic perspectives. Language 80.1, 7-39.

The project on possession will ask questions such as the following:
- What are the main ways of expressing predicative possession ( œ² o
have m   in sign languages?
- How is the difference between alienable and inalienable possession
realized in sign languages?
- Are there any spatial mechanisms to express possession in sign
languages?
- How do paradigms of personal pronouns and possessive pronouns compare
to each other in sign languages?
- How do the sign language data relate to data on possession from spoken
languages?

I invite groups and individuals who are interested in participating in
this project to contact me asap for more information (contact
information below). The project will be coordinated at the
Max-Planck-Institute for Psycholinguistics in Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
It is not necessary to have a professional background in sign language
linguistics in order to participate in the project. Please feel free to
distribute this message to other people who might be interested in
contributing to this project.

Regards,

Ulrike Zeshan



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Dr. Ulrike Zeshan
Sign Language Typology Research Group
Max-Planck-Institute for Psycholinguistics
Post address:                   Visiting address:
Postbus 310                     Wundtlaan 1
6500 AH Nijmegen          6525 XD Nijmegen
The Netherlands               The Netherlands
Phone:  (+31) (0)24 - 3521476
Fax:   (+31) (0)24 - 3521213
E-mail:  Ulrike.Zeshan at mpi.nl
              Ulrike_Zeshan at yahoo.com
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