Command or imperative

[Ulrike Zeshan]

Hello Odd-Inge,
 
there is a dedicated section by Ronice Mueller de Quadros on the use of
questions as commands in Brasilian Sign Language in the volume
"Interrogative and negative constructions in sign languages", and as far
as I remember, some other authors in this volume have also commented on
the use of questions as commands, though more briefly.
In "Indo-Pakistani Sign Language Grammar: A Typological Outline"
(article in Sign Language Studies), I mention imperatives in
Indo-Pakistani Sign Language, of which there are 3 in the positive and
one in the negative:
 
- positive imperative with bare predicate sign, nonmanuals and eye
contact

- particle for neutral positive imperative, distant force
- particle for nonpolite positive imperative, immediate force
- particle for negative imperative
 
I don't know any study exclusively dedicated to imperatives in any sign
language, so I guess all you can find is such bits and pieces here and
there... You may also find lessons in teaching materials on commands...
 
Ulrike
 
 
Prof. Ulrike Zeshan
Director, International Centre for Sign Languages and Deaf Studies
Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Livesey House, LH212
University of Central Lancashire
Preston PR12HE, UK
uzeshan at uclan.ac.uk 
Ph. +44-1772-893104



>>> Odd-Inge Schröder <o.i.schroder at isp.uio.no> 18/04/2008 12:55 >>>
Hello,

The authors Baker and Cokely in their American Sign Language I-V 
(1980:V:139)  mentioned imperative or command in the following
sentences:

”In general, commands are sentences that order the Addressee to do 
something. Although there has been little study of commands in ASL, we

do know that they are usually indicated by stress (emphasis) on the
verb 
and usually direct eye gaze on the Addressee. This stress usually 
involves making the sign faster and sharper. As explained in the
section 
on Transcription Symbols, we indicate that a sign is stressed by
writing 
an asterisk (*) after the sign”.



I cannot believe that in all the years since 1980 there has not been
any 
research on commands or imperative in ASL or in other sign languages? I

have not found anything in the International Bibliography of Sign
Language.



I still hope that there is somebody who can help me with references to

books and papers?



Best regards,

Odd-Inge Schroder,
Associate professor, cand.philol.
Department of Special Needs Education
Signing and interpreting section
University of Oslo


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