Linearization of the syntactic structure of sign languages

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K00579
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 02060:Linguistics-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan University
• Principal Investigator: Harada Naomi 東京都立大学, 人文科学研究科, 教授 (10374109)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 日本手話 / 統語論 / 線形化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The goal of this research project is to clarify the similarity and the difference between spoken and signed languages with regard to linearization. The syntactic objects are composed in the syntactic component of the grammar, creating an n-ary structure; being free from restrictions arising from ordering among constraints. However, once a syntactic object is created, the phonological information associated with it is sent to PF, a certain linearization algorithm is applied, and the linear order of its constituents are uniformly determined. This is so in the case of spoken languages, but such linearization processes do not necessarily hold true in the case of signed languages, because simultaneous occurrences of signs are possible. The detailed examination of the relevant data revealed that signed languages strikingly resemble spoken languages in this regard, differing only in lacking one aspect of the Linear Correspondence Axiom in the sense of Kayane (1994) - namely antisymmetry.

Free Research Field

Theoretical Linguistics (syntax)

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、音声言語と手話言語という、モダリティの異なる二種類の言語の線形化における違いを明らかにすることを目標とした。手話言語は音声言語と異なり、右手と左手、あるいは手形と非手指表現（頭や眉の位置など）というように文構造内の複数の要素を同時に表出することが理論的には可能である。しかし実際のデータを分析してみると、左右の手で異なる形を表出するといったケースはほとんどなく、片手で表出可能な手形でも順番をつけて1つずつ表出されることが判明した。この分析に基づき、手話言語では、線形一致の公理（Linear Correspondence Axiom）は他動性と全体性のみ関与するという提案をした。