expressions

[james macfarlane]

Hello all,

On Thu, 2 Jul 1998, Shelley Rubino wrote:

> Does anyone know of research done on facial expressions?  I know of
> information discussing the grammar of ASL, but I am also looking for
> research comparing the expressions used in ASL and foreign sign languages?
> Does anyone have information regarding international comparison of
> non-manuals used in sign language communication?

I did some research on the use of raised eyebrows for yes/no questions,
topics, rhetorical questions, and if clauses in 15 natural sign languages.
I asked informants whether or not raised brows were used to signal any of
the grammatical notions above.

My survey revealed the following statistics:

GRAM.  CAT.             PERCENT OF LGS. WHICH EMPLOY ^^

yes/no questions:               93  %
topic marking:                  87  %
rhetorical questions:           73  %
if-clause:                      60  %

This provides evidence for a universal grammaticization pathway from
yes/no questions to pragmatic and syntactic domains of topic marking.

This manuscript is being reviewed for publication and has not yet been
published, but I could probably post it to the web if you want it.

Also, Terry Janzen treats the grammaticization of topic marking in one
language (ASL) in his dissertation entitled "Topicality in ASL:
Information Ordering, Constituent Structure, and the Function of Topic
Marking" (1998) University of New Mexico.

Other sources on non-manuals in foreign sign languages include:

Bergman, Brita (1984)  "Non-manual components of signed language: Some
sentencetypes in Swedish Sign Language."  In Filip Loncke, Penny
Boyes-Braem and Yvan Lebrun. (eds.) Recent research on European sign
languages.  Swets & Zeitlinger B.V.: Lisse  pp.49-59

Celo, P. (1995) "Aspetti pragmatici e linguistici nella lingua dei segni
Italiana: appunti. In Christina M. Caselli and Serenca Corazza (eds.) LIS
Studi, esperienze e ricerchesulla lingua dei segni in Italia. Edizioni del
cerro: Pisa. pp. 126-127.

Coerts, Jane (1990) "The analysis of interrogatives and negations in Sign
Language of the Netherlands." In Sigmund Prillwitz (ed.) Current trends in
European sign language research: proceedings of the 3rd European Congress
on Sign Language. Hamburg: Signum-Verlag.  pp. 265-277.

Franchi, Maria Luisa (1987) "La componeti non manuali." In Virginia
Volterra (ed.)
Lalingua Italiana dei Segni: La communiccazione visiuo-gestuale dei
sordi. Bologna: Il Mulino. pp.147-154.

Vermeerbergen, M. (1996) ROOD KOOL TIEN PERSOON IN. Morfo-syntactische
Aspecten van Gebarentaal.  Ongepubliceerd doctoraal proefschrift,
Vrije Universiteit Brussel.  (Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Free
University ofBrussels.)

Vogt-Svendsen (1990): "Interrogative strukturer i norsk tegnsprk. En
        analyse av nonmanuelle komponenter i 86 sprsml
(Sorry I don't have the full reference for this.)

Hope this helps,

Jim MacFarlane
University of New Mexico