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Chapter 4. Syntactic functions of nonmanuals in Russian Sign Language

  • Svetlana Burkova , Evgeniia Khristoforova and Vadim Kimmelman
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Advances in Sign Language Corpus Linguistics
This chapter is in the book Advances in Sign Language Corpus Linguistics

Abstract

This chapter presents the Russian Sign Language (RSL) Corpus and demonstrates its capabilities as a research tool by summarizing three corpus-based studies primarily focused on syntactic functions of nonmanual markers. The first study considers question marking in regular wh-questions and in question-answer pairs. It shows that the two constructions have very different nonmanual markers. The second study analyzes marking of topics in RSL, and shows that nonmanual markers of topics are typologically common, but are infrequent in naturalistic corpus data. The third study investigates conditional and concessive constructions in RSL. It demonstrates that these constructions make extensive and frequent use of nonmanual markers, but that no single marker is specialized for the function of expressing conditional or concessive meaning. Instead, complex combinations of multiple markers are employed in these constructions. All three studies also contribute to sign language typology by providing novel descriptions of syntactic and discourse phenomena in RSL.

Abstract

This chapter presents the Russian Sign Language (RSL) Corpus and demonstrates its capabilities as a research tool by summarizing three corpus-based studies primarily focused on syntactic functions of nonmanual markers. The first study considers question marking in regular wh-questions and in question-answer pairs. It shows that the two constructions have very different nonmanual markers. The second study analyzes marking of topics in RSL, and shows that nonmanual markers of topics are typologically common, but are infrequent in naturalistic corpus data. The third study investigates conditional and concessive constructions in RSL. It demonstrates that these constructions make extensive and frequent use of nonmanual markers, but that no single marker is specialized for the function of expressing conditional or concessive meaning. Instead, complex combinations of multiple markers are employed in these constructions. All three studies also contribute to sign language typology by providing novel descriptions of syntactic and discourse phenomena in RSL.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents vii
  3. Foreword ix
  4. Acknowledgements xi
  5. Notes on the contributors xii
  6. List of abbreviations and acronyms xxi
  7. Chapter 1. Sign language corpus linguistics 1
  8. Part I. Advances in sign language linguistics
  9. Chapter 2. Negative Concord in Sign Language of the Netherlands 30
  10. Chapter 3. Exploring sign-writing contact and multilingualism in the Norwegian Deaf community 66
  11. Chapter 4. Syntactic functions of nonmanuals in Russian Sign Language 90
  12. Chapter 5. A corpus-based analysis of coordinate structures in Libras 123
  13. Chapter 6. Verb classes in South African Sign Language 155
  14. Chapter 7. Exploring regional variation in the DGS Corpus 192
  15. Chapter 8. Studying microdiachronic change with the Catalan Sign Language corpus 219
  16. Part II. Advances in sign language corpus construction
  17. Chapter 9. Creating a multifaceted corpus of Swedish Sign Language 242
  18. Chapter 10. Overview of and epistemological conditions for building and using LSF corpora 262
  19. Chapter 11. W(h)ither the ASL corpus? 287
  20. Chapter 12. Developing an inventory of handshapes, locations, and movements in Hong Kong Sign Language 309
  21. Chapter 13. Utterance unit annotation for the Japanese Sign Language Dialogue Corpus 353
  22. Index 383
https://doi.org/10.1075/scl.108.04bur

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents vii
  3. Foreword ix
  4. Acknowledgements xi
  5. Notes on the contributors xii
  6. List of abbreviations and acronyms xxi
  7. Chapter 1. Sign language corpus linguistics 1
  8. Part I. Advances in sign language linguistics
  9. Chapter 2. Negative Concord in Sign Language of the Netherlands 30
  10. Chapter 3. Exploring sign-writing contact and multilingualism in the Norwegian Deaf community 66
  11. Chapter 4. Syntactic functions of nonmanuals in Russian Sign Language 90
  12. Chapter 5. A corpus-based analysis of coordinate structures in Libras 123
  13. Chapter 6. Verb classes in South African Sign Language 155
  14. Chapter 7. Exploring regional variation in the DGS Corpus 192
  15. Chapter 8. Studying microdiachronic change with the Catalan Sign Language corpus 219
  16. Part II. Advances in sign language corpus construction
  17. Chapter 9. Creating a multifaceted corpus of Swedish Sign Language 242
  18. Chapter 10. Overview of and epistemological conditions for building and using LSF corpora 262
  19. Chapter 11. W(h)ither the ASL corpus? 287
  20. Chapter 12. Developing an inventory of handshapes, locations, and movements in Hong Kong Sign Language 309
  21. Chapter 13. Utterance unit annotation for the Japanese Sign Language Dialogue Corpus 353
  22. Index 383
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