2007 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
A study of classifier constructions in Japanese Sign Language
| Project/Area Number |
18520344
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Linguistics
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| Research Institution | Kobe City College of Technology |
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Principal Investigator |
IMAZATO Noriko Kobe City College of Technology, 一般科, Associate Prof. (90259903)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2006 – 2007
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| Keywords | Japanese Sign Language / classifiers / motion event / morphology / cognitive semantics / serial verb / construction / typology |
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| Research Abstract |
We took videos in the Kansai and Tokai areas of the Japanese Sign Language (JSL) motion expressions which include verbs with classifiers (CL). We analyzed the recorded images to confirm the fact that motion events are typically expressed as 'serial-verb constructions (SVCs)'. Our research has also revealed the following feature of SVCs of JSL motion expressions.
1. An SVC usually consists of two verbs ; one manner verb and one path verbs either type 1 or type2.
2. The manner verb has a strong tendency to be followed by a path verb.
3. The type 1 path verb always includes a CL, while this is not necessarily the case with type 2.
4. The SVC follows the 'direction consistency restriction rule'. In that, the direction of the signer's posture when expressing a manner verb should correlate with the moving direction of the path verb (of both type 1 and type2).
5. Only one manner verb cannot express the motion expression without special conditions. (Imazato 2007a, b).
However, it is still not evident whether or not other more complicated motion constructions such as'caused motion'or'fictive motion'should be expressed as SVC, and whether other non-motion-expressions such as causatives can be expressed in the form of SVCs. These questions remain to be answered through further examinations. We believe the comparison of the SVCs of signed language(s) with that of spoken languages can contribute to the general theory of linguistics.
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