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An overview of American Sign Language (ASL), including its general characteristics, relationship to other sign languages, and phonetic dimensions. It covers topics such as sign language families, iconicity, and phonetic parameters like handshape, location, movement, and orientation. The document also discusses minimal pairs and near-minimal pairs for various parameters, as well as non-manual expressions and sign language transcription.
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Sign in sign languages
word in spoken languages
-^
Traditionally, signs arereferred to (in English) bytranslation (gloss) of sign
-^
Translation conventionallygiven in capital lettersā CAT
Signed languages are not signed versions ofspoken languages
-^
The sign language of an area does not belong tothe same family of languages as the spokenlanguage of that area
-^
Signed languages can be grouped into historicalfamilies
-^
Families of spoken languages
families of sign
languages
American Sign Language and related
languages
Old Kentish SL MVSL
Old ASL
Old French Sign Language
ASL
French SL
ROISL
Span SL
NGT
QSL
ASL = American Sign LanguageMVSL = Marthaās Vineyard Sign LanguageNGT = Dutch Sign LanguageROISL = Republic of Ireland Sign LanguageQSL = Quebec Sign LanguageOld French SL: attested 300 years ago
Sound
meaning
ļ r] āhairā vs. āhareā
Onomatopoeia (sound imitating environment)ā to neigh, meow, mew, bark, woof, moo, oink, etc.ā But cross-linguistic differences:
ļrk] ābarkā
ļht
hic
ļ ], Witsuwitāen [y
ļ«ts
hļ
] āitās barkingā
MILK
COFFEE
TREE in ASL vs.Chinese SL
-^
BREAD in ASL vs.French SL
Parametersā
handshape
-^
location
-^
movement
-^
orientation
-^
number of hands
-^
non-manual expression
Values of parameters realized simultaneously
-^
In some signs, a parameter may have two or morevalues (sequenced)
MOTHER(5 hand)
BOY (2 variants)
UNDERSTAND HOW MANY?
http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/browser.htm
DIVORCED