the evolution of verb classes and verb agreement in sign...
TRANSCRIPT
![Page 1: The Evolution of Verb Classes and Verb Agreement in Sign ...sandlersignlab.haifa.ac.il/irit_articles/LSA_2009_Meir_et_al.pdf · Verb Classes and Verb Agreement in Sign Languages Irit](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051011/601a3ed8c68e6b5bec07f181/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
The Evolution of
Verb Classes
and Verb Agreement
in Sign Languages
Irit Meir, Carol Padden,
Mark Aronoff & Wendy Sandler
LSA 83rd Annual Meeting
San Francisco, 2009
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Main claim
� Sign language and spoken language
verb agreement are cases of convergent
evolution:
� The two mechanisms developed from
different structures, but evolved to serve
the same function in the language. They
became more similar to each other
because of the functional similarity.
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Peculiarities of
sign language verb agreement
� Object agreement “stronger” than
subject agreement
� Restricted to one sub-class of verbs
� Verbs of transfer (Meir 2002)
� Not obligatory
Introduction
Conflicting
Iconicities:
Body as subject
Body as 1P
Diachronic developments:
ABSL
ISL
ASL
Conclusions
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� Spoken languages:
� attachment of bound clitic pronouns to the verb (Givón 1976, van Geldern 2007)
“One overriding theme – and claim – of this paper is that verb agreement paradigms always arise from anaphoric pronoun paradigms.”
Tok Pisin: Em i-paitim
Him he fight-him
‘He beat him’
(Givón 1976)
How do agreement systems arise?
Introduction
Conflicting
Iconicities:
Body as subject
Body as 1P
Diachronic developments:
ABSL
ISL
ASL
Conclusions
![Page 5: The Evolution of Verb Classes and Verb Agreement in Sign ...sandlersignlab.haifa.ac.il/irit_articles/LSA_2009_Meir_et_al.pdf · Verb Classes and Verb Agreement in Sign Languages Irit](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051011/601a3ed8c68e6b5bec07f181/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
How do agreement systems arise?
� Signed languages:
� Cliticization account fails for sign languages:
• Has not been attested
• Cannot explain why only verbs of transfer inflect for agreement
• Cannot explain the existence of backwards verbs
� Recruitment of space into grammar
Introduction
Conflicting
Iconicities:
Body as subject
Body as 1P
Diachronic developments:
ABSL
ISL
ASL
Conclusions
![Page 6: The Evolution of Verb Classes and Verb Agreement in Sign ...sandlersignlab.haifa.ac.il/irit_articles/LSA_2009_Meir_et_al.pdf · Verb Classes and Verb Agreement in Sign Languages Irit](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051011/601a3ed8c68e6b5bec07f181/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Backwards verb: TAKE
� Properties of backwards verbs:
� Reverse order of agreement markers
• Verb moves from object to subject
� Same syntax
I 1GIVE2 ‘I gave you’
I 2TAKE1 ‘I took from you’
� In backwards verbs, order of agr markers
does not match order of pronouns.
Introduction
Conflicting
Iconicities:
Body as subject
Body as 1P
Diachronic developments:
ABSL
ISL
ASL
Conclusions
![Page 7: The Evolution of Verb Classes and Verb Agreement in Sign ...sandlersignlab.haifa.ac.il/irit_articles/LSA_2009_Meir_et_al.pdf · Verb Classes and Verb Agreement in Sign Languages Irit](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051011/601a3ed8c68e6b5bec07f181/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Multiple iconicities
� Verb system reflects two iconic systems (Meir et al 2007):
� Body as subject
� Body as first person
Introduction
Conflicting
Iconicities:
Body as subject
Body as 1P
Diachronic developments:
ABSL
ISL
ASL
Conclusions
![Page 8: The Evolution of Verb Classes and Verb Agreement in Sign ...sandlersignlab.haifa.ac.il/irit_articles/LSA_2009_Meir_et_al.pdf · Verb Classes and Verb Agreement in Sign Languages Irit](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051011/601a3ed8c68e6b5bec07f181/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
‘Body as Subject’:
Body represents an argument
� When using body and space to represent an event
� Body features (location features) represent a specific argument of the event
Introduction
Conflicting
Iconicities:
Body as subject
Body as 1P
Diachronic developments:
ABSL
ISL
ASL
Conclusions
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‘Body as Subject’: examples
� Psych verbs: HAPPY, LOVE, SUFFER, UPSET, BE-FED-UP-WITH
� Chest = the site of the feelings of the experiencerargument
� Verbs of mental activities: KNOW, REMEMBER, LEARN, WORRY, THINK, DREAM, UNDERSTAND
� Temple or the forehead = the site of the mental actions of the agent/experiencer.
� Verbs of perception: SEE, LOOK, HEAR, LISTEN, SMELL
� Eyes, ear or nose = the site of the actions of the experiencer (perceiver).
Introduction
Conflicting
Iconicities:
Body as subject
Body as 1P
Diachronic developments:
ABSL
ISL
ASL
Conclusions
![Page 10: The Evolution of Verb Classes and Verb Agreement in Sign ...sandlersignlab.haifa.ac.il/irit_articles/LSA_2009_Meir_et_al.pdf · Verb Classes and Verb Agreement in Sign Languages Irit](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051011/601a3ed8c68e6b5bec07f181/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
‘Body as Subject’: examples
� Verbs of saying: SAY, ASK, ANSWER, EXPLAIN,
SHOUT
� Mouth = the mouth of the agent argument
� Change-of-state verbs: BLUSH, GET-WELL,
WAKE-UP
� Face, body, eyes = body parts of the patient
argument
Introduction
Conflicting
Iconicities:
Body as subject
Body as 1P
Diachronic developments:
ABSL
ISL
ASL
Conclusions
![Page 11: The Evolution of Verb Classes and Verb Agreement in Sign ...sandlersignlab.haifa.ac.il/irit_articles/LSA_2009_Meir_et_al.pdf · Verb Classes and Verb Agreement in Sign Languages Irit](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051011/601a3ed8c68e6b5bec07f181/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
‘Body as Subject’
� The body may be associated with arguments bearing different thematic roles.
� But it is always associated with the argument bearing the highest ranking thematic role, and the one which is predicated of –
the Subject.
Introduction
Conflicting
Iconicities:
Body as subject
Body as 1P
Diachronic developments:
ABSL
ISL
ASL
Conclusions
![Page 12: The Evolution of Verb Classes and Verb Agreement in Sign ...sandlersignlab.haifa.ac.il/irit_articles/LSA_2009_Meir_et_al.pdf · Verb Classes and Verb Agreement in Sign Languages Irit](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051011/601a3ed8c68e6b5bec07f181/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Body as first person
� In pronominal signs
� In verb agreement forms
POSSIBLE CONFLICT
� Agreeing verbs encode both the event and the pronominal features of the arguments
Introduction
Conflicting
Iconicities:
Body as subject
Body as 1P
Diachronic developments:
ABSL
ISL
ASL
Conclusions
![Page 13: The Evolution of Verb Classes and Verb Agreement in Sign ...sandlersignlab.haifa.ac.il/irit_articles/LSA_2009_Meir_et_al.pdf · Verb Classes and Verb Agreement in Sign Languages Irit](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051011/601a3ed8c68e6b5bec07f181/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
Conflicting iconicities
� ‘He-sent-me the book.’
Body as subject:
Body represents sender
(subject)
Verb moves outward
from the body
Body as 1st person:
Body represents recipient
(object)
Verb moves inward to
the body
?
Introduction
Conflicting
Iconicities:
Body as subject
Body as 1P
Diachronic developments:
ABSL
ISL
ASL
Conclusions
![Page 14: The Evolution of Verb Classes and Verb Agreement in Sign ...sandlersignlab.haifa.ac.il/irit_articles/LSA_2009_Meir_et_al.pdf · Verb Classes and Verb Agreement in Sign Languages Irit](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051011/601a3ed8c68e6b5bec07f181/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
Sign language
verb agreement
� Body is not the subject
� Body is 1st person, not associated with a
particular syntactic role
� Subject and object are encoded by
direction of movement and facing
Introduction
Conflicting
Iconicities:
Body as subject
Body as 1P
Diachronic developments:
ABSL
ISL
ASL
Conclusions
![Page 15: The Evolution of Verb Classes and Verb Agreement in Sign ...sandlersignlab.haifa.ac.il/irit_articles/LSA_2009_Meir_et_al.pdf · Verb Classes and Verb Agreement in Sign Languages Irit](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051011/601a3ed8c68e6b5bec07f181/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
Diachronic development
� Within the verbal system
� ‘Body as subject’ is more basic, comes first
diachronically
� ‘Body as subject’ persists in plain verbs
� In agreeing verbs, ‘body as subject’ is present
when subject agreement is dropped
� ‘Body as 1st person’ comes later diachronically
(if at all)
(Padden et al in press)
Introduction
Conflicting
Iconicities:
Body as subject
Body as 1P
Diachronic developments:
ABSL
ISL
ASL
Conclusions
![Page 16: The Evolution of Verb Classes and Verb Agreement in Sign ...sandlersignlab.haifa.ac.il/irit_articles/LSA_2009_Meir_et_al.pdf · Verb Classes and Verb Agreement in Sign Languages Irit](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051011/601a3ed8c68e6b5bec07f181/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
AL-SAYYID BEDOUIN
SIGN LANGUAGE
Introduction
Conflicting
Iconicities:
Body as subject
Body as 1P
Diachronic developments:
ABSL
ISL
ASL
Conclusions
� Developed in a village community:
about ~ 150 deaf in a village of ~3,500
� Currently in its third generation
� Widely used by both hearing and deaf
members of the community
� Differs in vocabulary and structure
from surrounding languages
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ABSL: Body as subject;
no verb agreement
(Morphological Universals & the Sign Language Type.
Aronoff et al 2004)
Introduction
Conflicting
Iconicities:
Body as subject
Body as 1P
Diachronic developments:
ABSL
ISL
ASL
Conclusions
Verbs of transfer are signed from the body or towards the body.
They do not make use of space.
![Page 18: The Evolution of Verb Classes and Verb Agreement in Sign ...sandlersignlab.haifa.ac.il/irit_articles/LSA_2009_Meir_et_al.pdf · Verb Classes and Verb Agreement in Sign Languages Irit](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051011/601a3ed8c68e6b5bec07f181/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
Israeli Sign Language
� Emerged in the 1930s, with the emergence of the Deaf community in the country
� In a contact situation
� About 10,000 members today
� First generation signers still with us
(A Language in Space: The Story of Israeli Sign Language.
Meir & Sandler 2008)
Introduction
Conflicting
Iconicities:
Body as subject
Body as 1P
Diachronic developments:
ABSL
ISL
ASL
Conclusions
![Page 19: The Evolution of Verb Classes and Verb Agreement in Sign ...sandlersignlab.haifa.ac.il/irit_articles/LSA_2009_Meir_et_al.pdf · Verb Classes and Verb Agreement in Sign Languages Irit](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051011/601a3ed8c68e6b5bec07f181/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
ISL: Diachronic stages
towards verb agreement
1. Body is subject
2. End-point of sign is directed towards a referent in space
• Reanalysis:
• End-point=referent (Ann Senghas, p.c.)
3. Beginning-point of sign is directed towards a referent in space
• Reanalysis:
• Beginning-point=referent
(Emergence of argument structure. Meir in press)
Introduction
Conflicting
Iconicities:
Body as subject
Body as 1P
Diachronic developments:
ABSL
ISL
ASL
Conclusions
![Page 20: The Evolution of Verb Classes and Verb Agreement in Sign ...sandlersignlab.haifa.ac.il/irit_articles/LSA_2009_Meir_et_al.pdf · Verb Classes and Verb Agreement in Sign Languages Irit](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051011/601a3ed8c68e6b5bec07f181/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
ISL stage 1: Body as Subject
Introduction
Conflicting
Iconicities:
Body as subject
Body as 1P
Diachronic developments:
ABSL
ISL
ASL
Conclusions
Verbs of transfer are signed from the body or towards the body.
They do not make use of space.
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ISL stage 2:
single-agreement forms
Introduction
Conflicting
Iconicities:
Body as subject
Body as 1P
Diachronic developments:
ABSL
ISL
ASL
Conclusions
Verbs of transfer are signed from the body towards a location in
space.
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ISL stage 3:
double-agreement forms
Introduction
Conflicting
Iconicities:
Body as subject
Body as 1P
Diachronic developments:
ABSL
ISL
ASL
Conclusions
Verbs of transfer are signed from one location in space towards
another.
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‘Body as Subject’ is still there…
� Single agreeing forms:
� Initial point: Body as subject
� End point: Encodes non-subject argument
� Non-obligatoriness of verb agreement
�Signers can always use ‘Body as
subject’ ⇒ single/non-agreeing forms
Introduction
Conflicting
Iconicities:
Body as subject
Body as 1P
Diachronic developments:
ABSL
ISL
ASL
Conclusions
![Page 24: The Evolution of Verb Classes and Verb Agreement in Sign ...sandlersignlab.haifa.ac.il/irit_articles/LSA_2009_Meir_et_al.pdf · Verb Classes and Verb Agreement in Sign Languages Irit](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051011/601a3ed8c68e6b5bec07f181/html5/thumbnails/24.jpg)
ASL: Variations in form
Introduction
Conflicting
Iconicities:
Body as subject
Body as 1P
Diachronic developments:
ABSL
ISL
ASL
Conclusions
Agreeing form
Non-agreeing form
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Why is verb agreement restricted
to verbs of transfer?
� The form of transfer verbs involves body and space:
� one end has to be away from body
� When a language acquires systematic
referential use of space
� Verbs of transfer lend themselves more easily to reanalysis:
Endpoints=referents
Introduction
Conflicting
Iconicities:
Body as subject
Body as 1P
Diachronic developments:
ABSL
ISL
ASL
Conclusions
![Page 26: The Evolution of Verb Classes and Verb Agreement in Sign ...sandlersignlab.haifa.ac.il/irit_articles/LSA_2009_Meir_et_al.pdf · Verb Classes and Verb Agreement in Sign Languages Irit](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051011/601a3ed8c68e6b5bec07f181/html5/thumbnails/26.jpg)
Co-evolution of
iconicity and grammar
� Iconicity is not a unitary system.
� Iconic use of Body as Subject emerges
very early in the life of a sign language.
� Different types of iconicity are
distributed over different parts of the
grammar, and these parts of grammar are
assembled over time. (Iconicity in a new sign language. Padden in press)
Introduction
Conflicting
Iconicities:
Body as subject
Body as 1P
Diachronic developments:
ABSL
ISL
ASL
Conclusions
![Page 27: The Evolution of Verb Classes and Verb Agreement in Sign ...sandlersignlab.haifa.ac.il/irit_articles/LSA_2009_Meir_et_al.pdf · Verb Classes and Verb Agreement in Sign Languages Irit](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051011/601a3ed8c68e6b5bec07f181/html5/thumbnails/27.jpg)
Convergent structures
in language evolution
Spatial, 3-D
Verbs of transfer
Reanalysis of end-
points
Aural, 1-D
Pronouns
Cliticization
Function: Reference
tracking
Means: encoding
pronominal features on
verb forms
Modality
Origin
Process
Pronominal
system
Finite,
encoding
lexical
features
Non-finite?
encoding
discourse
established
indices
S
P
O
K
E
N
S
I
G
N
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Thank you