dr. bill vicars lifeprint. com. asl linguistics: semantics
TRANSCRIPT
Dr. Bill Vicars
Lifeprint.com
ASL Linguistics:
Semantics
What is the sign
for NAME?
What is the sign
for ROME?
LIS = Italian Sign Language
Lingua dei Segni Italiana
Meaning is
determined by…
… a specific community of users.
Determined = decided = agreed
Dictionary problem:
Same sign / different glosses
Can you think of any signs that
have more than one English
interpretation?
Lets discuss types of
meaning…
3 types of meaning
…
Referential Social Affective
Referential meaning
…
idea, thing,
state of affairs
CAT = 4 legs, tail, whiskers,
etc.
The "cat" is a referent of
the sign CAT.
REFER = NAME-(verb)
REFER = LABEL
-
Social Meaning
…
Sign choices reveal social information
where from
male or female
African American
or Caucasian
example: AWFUL
Affective Meaning
…
Sign choices reflect your…
feelings, attitudes, opinions
Example: "fascinating research"
vs…
"boring old
project"
Shows your
attitude
affective = feelings
Referential meaning = What
Social meaning = Who
Affective meaning
= How feel
Referential meaning = denotation
Social and Affective
meaning = Connotation
Example: “dEAF” =denotation
Example: DEAF = connotation
What is a lexicon?
A set of words
known by users of a language.
Lexicon = Vocabulary
set
What is a Lexical item?
A word (or sign).
The study of semantics includes
considering…
Relationships of meaning between
“lexical items” (words or signs)
Ways words are related in meaning
Will teach you six ways.
Consider: APPLE & CAR
APPLE & CARAre not related
Consider:
BLUE RED YELLOW GREEN
ORANGE PURPLE
…are types of what?
COLOR
BLUE, RED, etc. have a relationship with COLOR
That relationship
is called:
1. Hyponymy
BLUE, RED, YELLOW, etc. are
hyponyms
COLOR is a
hypernym
Example:
Sign Language: ASL, LSF, LIS, LSQ
“hyper” means
“over” or above.
Is "RED" a color?
Duh. I have a point.
Consider: HAND & ARM
Is a HAND an
ARM?
No.
We are not
discussing hyponymy.
New type of
meaning…
The relationship between a
hand and an arm is a:
2. Part/Whole Relationship
Another example:
PHONOLOGY and
LINGUISTICS
Note…
RED is a type of color…
HAND is a part of an
arm.
Phonology is not a type
of linguistics.
Phonology is a part of
linguistics.
So far we’ve talked about what
two types of relationships
between signs?
1. Hyponymy 2. Part/Whole
New relationship…
Consider: soda &
pop
sofa & couch
Two words that mean the same
thing are…
Synonyms
3. Synonymy
Consider however:
“Denotative Synonymy” means …
“Refer to the same
thing.”
Two signs can denote (or refer to) the same thing but
have a different connotation (social
or affective meaning).
Can have different
connotative meaning.
Connotatively not
synonymous
Connotative = social and
affective
Connotative = who & how
feel
DEAF ("index" hand) & DEAF (A-5 hand) are denotatively similar
(synonymy) but connotatively dissimilar.
DEAF ("index" hand) & DEAF (A-5 hand) both refer to the concept of
“not hearing” but the two signs are different in
terms of WHO uses them and HOW the user feels
about being “Deaf.”
Are BED & #BED an
example of Synonymy
????
Maybe at a basic
referential level.
But they tend to be used
differently in actual
conversation.
BED & #BED are not synonymous at the sentence or conversation
level.
That means not synonymous at the "discourse"
level.
“Discourse" tends to mean
the use of sentences or
having a conversation.
Can you think of another pair of ASL
lexicon that has sign version and a
lexicalized fingerspelling
version?
CAR and #CAR
BUSY and #BUSY
EARLY and #EARLY
So far we’ve talked about what
three types of relationships
between signs?
1. 2.
3.
1. Hyponymy
2. Part/Whole
3. Synonymy
New relationship…
Consider: LARGE
and SMALL
They are opposite
in meaning.
4. Antonymy
= opposites
There are two types
of Antonymy
Gradable & Non-
gradable
Gradable = levels, degrees, relative
Example: LARGER vs SMALLER
Non-gradable = one or the other but not both
Example: PREGNANT
ALIVE or DEAD
Gradable: English uses “-er"
Gradable: ASL often
uses "depiction"
Example: "LIMO" vs V W Bug
THICK BOOK vs THICKER
BOOK
ASL Gradation may also
use…
Nonmanual signals ex: pursed lips
/ cha.
and structure changes,
ex:
LIMO moves hands
further.
Consider: GOOD &
BAD
English GOOD/BAD phonological
forms different
ASL GOOD/BAD phonological
forms similar
Reversal of orientation
for antonymy
Examples…
LIKE
DON'T-LIKE
WANT
DON'T-WANT
KNOW
DON'T-KNOW
1. 2. 3.
4.
1. Hyponymy 2. Part/Whole 3. Synonymy 4. Antonymy
New Relationship…
Consider: WIFE &
HUSBAND
TEACHER STUDENT
AUNT NIECE
5.
Converseness
Converseness is sort of
similar to antonymy
Converseness happens in
pairs
often phonologically similar
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
1. Hyponymy2. Part/Whole3. Synonymy 4. Antonymy
5. Converseness
New relationship…
6. Metaphor
Metaphor = extension of
meaning
Consider:
Orientational Metaphor example…
DEPRESSED
TIRED
THRILLED
HAPPY
Up = positive meaning
Down = negative meaning
Up = present
(APPEAR)
Down = absent
(DISAPPEAR)
-
Ontological means …
... relating to or based upon being
or existence.
The iconic nature of
ASL …
is ontological
Signs (often) look-
like what they are.
A sign often looks like…
…somethin
g that exists.
The sign ANALYSIS
is …
mapped to the sign
DIGGING…
which is mapped
to …
the real life act of digging.
Ontological metaphors
treat abstract…
entities states and events as if they were objects.
"Digging into your psyche."
"FALL-INTO an area of
interest"
"HOLD-ONTO
that idea"
-
Structural Metaphor:
Treat abstract concepts in
terms of a more concrete concept.
"Time is money."
ASL ex: TIME-"run
out of"
-
Metaphor: 1. Orientational 2.
Ontological 3. Structural
4.
4. Families of signs
What signs can you do
with an open-8
handshape?
FEEL
EXCITE
DEPRESS
PITY
SICK
SENSITIVE
…other example
…
Can you think of some signs
that seem related to “NOT”?
DENY
REFUSE
BLAME
SUFFER
Metaphor: 1. 2. 3. 4.
Metaphor:1. Orientational 2.
Ontological 3. Structural
4. Sign Families
There are more types of meaning. Today we’ve discussed six.
What are the six types of word
“meaning relationships”?
1. Hyponymy 2. Part/Whole 3. Synonymy
4. Antonymy 5. Converseness 6. Metaphor
Here is a way to
remember those:
CHAMPS
Dr. Bill Vicars
Lifeprint.com