Emmorey, K., & Herzig, M. (2000). Categorical vs. analogue properties of classifier constructions in ASL. Poster presented at the Theoretical Issues in Sign Language Research meeting, July, Amsterdam, Holland.
ASL classifier constructions were originally thought to be "mimetic depictions" (Klima & Bellugi, 1979), rather than morphologically complex signs. However, Supalla (1978; 1982) presented evidence that classifier verbs are composed of discrete morphemes that express object form or category through handshape morphemes, object location through a "base grid" of discrete spatial loci, and movement through verbal roots. In contrast, Liddell (1995) argues that at least location is not morphemic in ASL. We investigated the comprehension and production of ASL classifier constructions in which either location or hand configuration were varied continuously. We hypothesized that locations in signing space are mapped isomorphically to locations in physical space, but that hand configuration is treated categorically. Deaf ASL signers and hearing non-signers participated. In one task, subjects watched a videotaped signer describe the location of a dot using an F classifier; the dot was described as above or below a bar (B handshape) in one of 30 distinct locations. Subjects then placed a round sticker in relation to a bar on a response sheet. Signers and non-signers performed similarly and were able to distinguish almost all spatial locations, and they produced similar acceptability ratings regarding which signed description best matched which "dot and bar" picture. However, for the parallel tasks involving handshape, signers and non-signers performed quite differently. Subjects watched a signer describe the size of a medallion on a necklace, continuously varying the handshape from a "squeezed" F to a wide bent L handshape. Subjects chose from a set of 10 stickers, placing one at the end of a necklace. Nonsigners only distinguished the smallest handshape, and signers exhibited categorical, rather than analogue performance both by their sticker choices and by their acceptability ratings. Results from ASL production tasks using the same pictures also indicated categorical expression of handshape distinctions, but analogue expression of location distinctions.
References:
Klima, E. & Bellugi, U. (1979). The signs of language. Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press.
Liddell, Scott (1995). Real, surrogate, and token space: Grammatical consequences in ASL. In Karen Emmorey & Judy S. Reilly (Eds)., Language, Gesture, and Space. (pp. 19-41) New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Supalla, T. (1978). Morphology of verbs of motion and location in American Sign Language. In F. Caccamise (Ed.), American Sign Language in a bilingual, bicultural context: Proceedings of the National Symposium on Sign Language Research and Teaching, pp.27-45, Silver Spring, MD: National Association of the Deaf.
Supalla, T. (1982). Structure and acquisition of verbs of motion and location in American Sign Language. Ph.D. dissertation, University of California, San Diego.