Continuous vs. Repetitive inflection in ASL

[Don & Theresa G]

-----Original Message-----
From: Ronnie Wilbur <wilbur at OMNI.CC.PURDUE.EDU>
To: SLLING-L at ADMIN.HUMBERC.ON.CA <SLLING-L at ADMIN.HUMBERC.ON.CA>
Date: Friday, May 07, 1999 8:51 AM
Subject: Re: Continuous vs. Repetitive inflection in ASL


>Don,
>
>Could you help further?  How does 'durative' differ semantically from
>'continuative'?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Ronnie
>
>P.S.  For those interested, formationally, the differences are shown in
>pictures on p. 293 of Klima & Bellugi 'Signs of Lg'.
>

I had to look up the difference in the Klima/Bellugi text -- I thought they
were the same thing (smile).

I'm not quite as sure here, but my sense is that in keeping with the "kill"
(although maybe to-kill can't quite conform to this aspect), TO-KILL
(durative) means "to keep on killing FOR an extended period of time" while
TO-KILL (continuative) means "to keep on killing OVER an extended period of
time".  That is, in the durative aspect, the killing occurs fairly
continuously during a set period of time, without much interruption, while
in the continuative aspect, the killing occurs during a set, but extended
period of time, with the possibility of some intervals in which killing does
not occur.   Does this make any sense?

Using the Klima/Bellugi examples of "LOOK-AT",  the durative aspect means a
fairly steady, uninterrupted and focused gaze, while the continuative aspect
means a fairly constant gaze that could be interrupted and is not quite so
focused or "interested" -- maybe almost disinterested would be a better
word.

Again, this is my best sense--I'm not claiming certainty on these two here.
I would like to hear any confirmation that my sense is correct or not.

--Don Grushkin