Phonology of numerals

[Carol Padden]

Adam --

I would argue that the reason why these forms are not constrained
by the symmetry (or dominance) condition is because they are not
two-handed signs, but two one-handed signs. I'm not sure I understand
how your forms look, but I've seen similar "two-handed" numeral
forms in other sign languages (e./g. Italian Sign Language) and a
case could be made that these function as if both hands are one-
handed.  Many classifier complexes are like these - the left hand
is VEHICLE and the right hand is PERSON, 'walking past the car.'
Movements can be simultaneous, and even lexicalized to some
extent, but  because both hands can vary independently and
meaningfully, they are not two-handed signs.

Carol




>BSL has at least four signs that appear not to be constrained by
>Battison's (1978) symmetry condition. These are the signs SIXTEEN,
>SEVENTEEN, EIGHTEEN and NINETEEN. These signs have a two-handed
>variant in which the hands have the same location (neutral space) and
>movement (an alternating up and down movement) but different hand
>configurations on the dominant and non-dominant hand (the
>non-dominant hand has a 5 handshape, while the other hand may have an
>I, for example, in one form of the sign SIXTEEN). To my knowledge,
>these variants are not found in the related variety, Auslan.
>
>Bencie Woll pointed out to me that numerals in BSL and Auslan have
>other distinctive formational properties, such as hand configurations
>not found in other core native signs, as in the closed hand with
>only the pinky and ring finger extended used in some varieties of BSL
>and Auslan for SEVEN, and the extended thumb, index, middle and ring
>used in some varieties for NINE. Only signs related to SEVEN and
>NINE use these handshapes (e.g., SEVENTEEN, NINETY, LAST-WEEK etc).
>
>I believe the same claim has been made in the literature for ASL
>SEVEN.
>
>So do other sign languages use different formational features and
>constraints for numerals? Can someone point me in the direction of
>any published discussion of this issue (I seem to recall some
>discussion of this on SLLING-L some time ago)?
>
>Cheers,
>Adam
>
>PS Auslan also has a very small number of signs that appear to break
>Battison's (1978) dominance condition, using marked handshapes on the
>non-dominant hand.
>
>----------------------
>Adam Schembri
>Centre for Deaf Studies
>University of Bristol
>8 Woodland Rd
>Bristol BS8 1TN
>United Kingdom
>Telephone: +44 (0)117 954 6909
>Textphone: +44 (0)117 954 6920
>Fax: +44 (0)117 954 6921
>Email: Adam.Schembri at bristol.ac.uk
>Website: www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/DeafStudies


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Carol A. Padden
Professor
Department of Communication
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, CA 92093-0503
858.534.7571 tty
858.534.7315 fax  ~ cpadden at ucsd.edu
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