Meaning at the feature level in sign languages. The case of name signs in Sign Language of the Netherlands (NGT)
Publication year
2014Author(s)
Publisher
Utrecht : Utrecht Institute of Linguistics OTS
In
Kager, R.; Grijzenhout, J.; Sebregts, K. (ed.), Where the Principles Fail. A Festschrift for Wim Zonneveld on the occasion of his 64th birthday., pp. 241-251Publication type
Article in monograph or in proceedings
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Editor(s)
Kager, R.
Grijzenhout, J.
Sebregts, K.
Organization
Taalwetenschap
Languages used
English (eng)
Book title
Kager, R.; Grijzenhout, J.; Sebregts, K. (ed.), Where the Principles Fail. A Festschrift for Wim Zonneveld on the occasion of his 64th birthday.
Page start
p. 241
Page end
p. 251
Subject
Language in Mind; Sign Language LinguisticsAbstract
This paper discusses the several ways in which name signs can be assigned in the Netherlands, i.e. as lexemes for typical characteristics of persons, initialised characterizing lexemes or fingerspelled forms combined with one or more sub-sign morphemes. Only iconic, morphologically complex lexemes in Sign Language of the Netherlands (NGT) are observed to undergo initialisation. Combination of a fingerspelled initial with a lexeme is subject to form and meaning preserving restrictions: a substituting hand configuration must not substantially differ in form and meaning from the substituted one, and/or the remaining morphemic construction should be preserved to the extent that the lexeme is still recognizable and interpretable. This provides independent evidence for the status of the signs that are used as the basis of name signs in NGT as morphologically complex. Support for the analysis of sub-sign components as morphemes is provided by the fact that morphemes below the level of the sign can be combined with motivated, fingerspelled elements in the construction of new name signs. Further study is necessary to learn to what extent other meaningful sub-sign components can be used for this as well.
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
- Academic publications [244228]
- Faculty of Arts [29768]
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