Facial Expressions - Linguistic aspect

Thu Jul 31 14:31:48 UTC 2008

Ah, "Living ASL" was my shorthand for working directly with Lucinda's tape.  I'd love to go to some of the Deaf video blogging sites and simply grab one at random and write them.  

The grammar marker at the end of Versailles France would be a "topical marker". The whole phrase is one noun, not just Versailles.  She's really talented and very consistent.

In the original video tape she did tend to mouth words so I had to be careful just to pick up the grammatical markers, not the English.

Charles

MARIA AZZOPARDI <maria.azzopardi at um.edu.mt> wrote: Thank you Charles for your feedback. Yes, I've noticed the classifiers and
will be analysing them a little more in detail soon.

Your transcriptions of DeafHistory contain a lot of phonetic detail, well
done - even someone like myself who knows no ASL can almost see the Deaf
signer sign while reading them.

Where can I find "living ASL" please?

Maria

> The DeafHistory 1-4 are from a transcription of an actual video which will
> be posted later, so as a "standard" text it, I think, is a good example of
> "living ASL".  I'm trying to include the head-nods where they appear, as,
> for the most part, they appear as markers on fingerspelled words and on
> time phrases.
>
> I'm also including, if you may have noticed, classifiers when they are
> carried down between signs.  Note "teaching Deaf children" in
> DeafHistory4, the left hand from TEACH is carried down into Deaf &
> children as a topical marker while the primary hand moves.
>
> Charles
>
> MARIA AZZOPARDI  wrote: Thanks.
> Yes, this is helpful. It's a starting point to start analyzing and
> thinking.
>
> It's interesting to see how the head-up and then head-down marks the
> beginning an end of a fingerspelt word, this happens in LSM too. It's even
> more interesting to note that it doesn't actually mark the beginning and
> end of a fingerspelt word, because in 'Versailles France', the head comes
> down on the sign France rather than on the last 's' of Versailes.
>
> What exactly would you call this grammatical feature?
>
> Additionally, you mentioned this is a first draft. For writing standard
> ASL, would you include the head-up and then head-down at the beginning and
> end of fingerspelt words, or would the head-up and down be considered
> redundant information, and thus unneccessary for a written text.
>
> thanks,
> Maria
>
>
>
>> Simply as an example, go to the ASL Encyclopedia and see the beginnings
>> of
>> the article I have loaded on Deaf History, DeafHistory1, DeafHistory2,
>> DeafHistory3, DeafHistory4.  I transcribed this from a videotape and it
>> is
>> filled with grammatical eye gazes, eyebrows, and head nods.  It's a
>> first
>> draft, but it may help you in how I manage with it.
>>
>> Charles Butler
>>
>>
>> MARIA AZZOPARDI  wrote: Hello list,
>>
>> I have a 'big' question about the function of facial expressions (mainly
>> eye-brow and head up/down expressions) in sign languages.
>>
>> The linguistics of LSM (Maltese sign language) has still not been
>> researched thoroughly. There are of course rules in LSM governing facial
>> expressions, however since this has not been studied yet, I find myself
>> trying to do two things at the same time: translate to signwritten LSM,
>> and at the same time think about what rules may be governing these
>> facial
>> expressions. I find myself using different eye-brow expressions for
>> different questions, at the introduction of new topics, during role-play
>> in signing, at certain clauses etc.
>>
>> Could someone lead me to some more information about the grammatical
>> aspect of facial expressions, preferably with signwritten examples. Or
>> perhaps illustrate a few examples of how and when facial expressions are
>> used in your sign languages. LSM is different to ASL and other sign
>> languages, although it seems to be a little related to BSL. Besides
>> there
>> are certain sign language universals, so any information would be much
>> appreciated.
>>
>> Maria
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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