Markers of epistemic modality and their origins

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-44
Author(s):  
Elisabeth Engberg-Pedersen
Keyword(s):  
Sign Language ◽  
Mental State ◽  
Epistemic Uncertainty ◽  
Epistemic Modality ◽  
Visual Modality ◽  
Sign Languages ◽  
Epistemic Modal ◽  
Modal Particles ◽  
Word Forms ◽  
Japanese Sign Language

Abstract Native deaf signers express epistemic modality by different means: mental-state words, clause-internal particles, signs indicating hypothesis, and nonmanually. The data for this study come from two unrelated sign languages, Danish Sign Language and Japanese Sign Language. In dialogues the signers use both calques of majority-language words and signs that appear to have emerged in the sign languages only. Based on the multifunctionality of some word forms, the origin of the epistemic modal particles may be traced back to tags, interjections, and lexical signs, a route motivated by interaction and also found in unrelated spoken languages. Furthermore, in both sign languages, the first-person pronoun can be used, without a verb, as an epistemic “anchor” of a proposition, a construction that seems specific to languages in the gestural-visual modality. Another modality-specific feature is the possibility of transferring the expression of a marker of epistemic uncertainty from one articulator to another.

From inquisitive disjunction to nonveridical equilibrium: Modalized questions in Korean

Linguistics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 207-244
Author(s):  
Arum Kang ◽  
Suwon Yoon
Keyword(s):  
Epistemic Uncertainty ◽  
Epistemic Modality ◽  
Modal Operator ◽  
Current Analysis ◽  
Epistemic Modal ◽  
Second Languages ◽  
Novel Device ◽  
Modal Base ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractThe goal of the present study is to identify a novel paradigm of epistemic modal operator derived from disjunction. Our main data involves an inquisitive disjunction marker nka in Korean, the presence of which enhances a speaker’s epistemic uncertainty and forms a modalized question. We show how nka contributes the modal effects in question within a theory of nonveridicality. In particular, we propose that the prerequisite of nka are non-homogenous nonveridical states that are partitioned in equipoised epistemic spaces because of the absence in ranking between them. The distinct notions of disjunction, question, and possibility modals can thus be systematically captured under the framework of nonveridical equilibrium. The current analysis offers important insights into the relationship between the classes of nonveridical and modal ingredients involved in inquisitive disjunction: First, Korean facts importantly reveal that modalized questions do not form a uniform class with regular questions, since interrogative semantics alone cannot predict the epistemic uncertainty. Second, languages parameterize as to how they lexicalize the function of manipulating modal base. The implication of our findings is that disjunction needs to be recognized as a novel device for encoding a speaker’s weakest perspective on epistemic modality.

scholarly journals Means of Expression of Epistemic Modality in Russian Political Discourse

2019 ◽  
pp. 19-31
Author(s):  
Živilė Nemickienė
Keyword(s):  
Political Discourse ◽  
Russian Language ◽  
Epistemic Modality ◽  
Shared Knowledge ◽  
Political Leaders ◽  
Epistemic Modal ◽  
Modal Particles ◽  
Modal Auxiliaries ◽  
The Russian Language ◽  
Modal Adverbs

This paper discusses the means of epistemic modality used in Russian political discourse. Russian political leaders most often use epistemic modal adverbs and mental state predicates in their speeches for hedging purposes. Modal particles and modal expressions are employed more often than predicatively used adjectives, modal auxiliaries are never used due to the peculiarities of the Russian language. Most commonly used words expressing epistemic modality in Russian belong to the group of modal adverbs. Due to the structure of Russian, groups of particles and modal expressions conveying epistemic modality are analysed. The study reveals that Russian politicians use words with epistemic meanings mainly to convince the listener that the information is reliable, and rarely to mitigate the content of the proposition or to reduce the author’s responsibility for what is being claimed. The cognitive processes help to recognize the ideas encoded in epistemic utterances. Those processes are based on the shared knowledge and understanding of the context.

scholarly journals Towards a dependency treebank for Spanish Sign Language (LSE)

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
pp. 111-143
Author(s):  
José M. García ◽  
Carmen Cabeza
Keyword(s):  
Sign Language ◽  
Syntactic Analysis ◽  
Visual Modality ◽  
Sign Languages ◽  
First Results ◽  
Dependency Syntax

This paper presents the foundations, procedures, tests and first results of a dependency treebank of the Spanish Sign Language (LSE). Dependency syntax offers many advantages over other alternatives for the systematic and exhaustive syntactic analysis of a corpus. Nevertheless, the visual modality that is characteristic of sign languages poses unique challenges for their syntactic analysis, among which the most prominent is the simultaneity of expression: both hands, face and other non-manual components. Taking into account these and other particularities of sign languages, the paper explores the main difficulties faced when one tries to apply some usual categories and relations from the syntactic analysis of spoken and written languages to LSE.

scholarly journals Towards a dependency treebank for Spanish Sign Language (LSE)

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
pp. 111-143
Author(s):  
José M. García ◽  
Carmen Cabeza
Keyword(s):  
Sign Language ◽  
Syntactic Analysis ◽  
Visual Modality ◽  
Sign Languages ◽  
First Results ◽  
Dependency Syntax

This paper presents the foundations, procedures, tests and first results of a dependency treebank of the Spanish Sign Language (LSE). Dependency syntax offers many advantages over other alternatives for the systematic and exhaustive syntactic analysis of a corpus. Nevertheless, the visual modality that is characteristic of sign languages poses unique challenges for their syntactic analysis, among which the most prominent is the simultaneity of expression: both hands, face and other non-manual components. Taking into account these and other particularities of sign languages, the paper explores the main difficulties faced when one tries to apply some usual categories and relations from the syntactic analysis of spoken and written languages to LSE.

scholarly journals Episteemilistest modaalpartiklitest eesti kirjakeeles

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 205-222
Author(s):  
Annika Valdmets ◽  
Külli Habicht
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Background ◽  
Epistemic Modality ◽  
Literary Language ◽  
Epistemic Modal ◽  
Modal Particles

Artikli eesmärgiks on kirjeldada mõningate episteemiliste, tõeväärtushinnangut kandvate modaalpartiklite kujunemist ja kasutamist eesti (kirja)keeles. Täpsema vaatluse all on sõnad nagu kahtlemata, loomulikult, põhimõtteliselt ja tegelikult, mis on peamiselt viimase sajandi vältel arenenud täistähenduslikest viisiadverbidest modaalpartikliteks. Selle protsessi käigus on teisenenud nende semantilised, morfosüntaktilised ja pragmaatilised omadused. Käsitletavad üksused on tänapäeva eesti keeles polüseemsed: olenevalt kontekstist saab neid kasutada nii täistähenduslike viisiadverbide kui ka mittetäistähenduslike episteemiliste partiklitena. Episteemiliste modaalpartiklite kirjeldamisel on kaasatud ka subjektiivsuse ja intersubjektiivsuse mõisted. Artiklit illustreerivad näited Tartu Ülikooli kirjakeele korpustest ja vanadest eesti keele grammatikatest.About epistemic modal particles in Estonian. The purpose of this article is to give an overview of the development and use of some of the epistemic modal particles in written Estonian. More specifically, this paper detangles the topic with the examples of the words like kahtlemata ’undoubtedly’, loomulikult ’of course’, põhimõtteliselt ’in principle’ and tegelikult ’actually’, which are particles that have evolved from (manner) adverbs and, as polysemous items, are being used in both functions nowadays. During this evolution, the words’ semantic, morphosyntactic and pragmatic properties have changed. The data for this study mainly come from the Corpus of Estonian Literary Language, the Balanced Corpus of Estonian, and old Estonian grammars. The theoretical background is based on grammaticalization approach. More specifically, the topics of subjectivity and intersubjectivity are examined in greater detail. The most important function of the particles studied here is indeed appearing on the pragmatic level because these items add epistemic modality to the clause which can only originate from the speaker/writer (subjectivity) or which can cover also the addressee (intersubjectivity).

scholarly journals Variation in the numeral system of Japanese Sign Language and Taiwan Sign Language

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-150
Author(s):  
Keiko Sagara ◽  
Nick Palfreyman
Keyword(s):  
Sign Language ◽  
Social Factors ◽  
Regional Variation ◽  
Sign Languages ◽  
Colonial Era ◽  
Japanese Colonial ◽  
Supplementary Material ◽  
Lasting Impression ◽  
Japanese Sign Language ◽  
Shed Light

Abstract Abstract (Japanese Sign Language) The numerals 10, 100 and 1,000 are expressed variably in Japanese Sign Language (JSL) and Taiwan Sign Language (TSL), two languages that also have historic links. JSL was used in deaf schools that were established in Taiwan during the Japanese colonial era, leaving a lasting impression on TSL, but complex sociolinguistic situations have led to different outcomes in each case (Fischer, 2014; Sagara, 2014). This comparative sociolinguistic analysis is based on two datasets comprising a total of 1,100 tokens produced by 72 signers from the Kanto and Kansai regions (for JSL) and the cities of Tainan and Taipei (for TSL). Mixed effects modelling reveals that social factors such as the age and region of the signer have a significant influence on how the variable is realised. This investigation shows how careful cross-linguistic comparison can shed light on variation within and between sign languages that have been in contact, and how regional variation in one language may influence regional variation in another.

The prominence of spoken language elements in a sign language

Linguistics ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Bank ◽  
Onno Crasborn ◽  
Roeland van Hout
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Sign Language ◽  
Spoken Language ◽  
Visual Modality ◽  
Sign Languages ◽  
Level Of Education ◽  
Code Mixing ◽  
Regional Origin ◽  
Manual Signs ◽  
Information Streams

Abstractin sign languages consist of simultaneously articulated manual signs and spoken language words. These “mouthings” (typically silent articulations) have been observed for many different sign languages. The present study aims to investigate the extent of such bimodal code-mixing in sign languages by investigating the frequency of mouthings produced by deaf users of Sign Language of the Netherlands (NGT), their co-occurrence with pointing signs, and whether any differences can be explained by sociolinguistic variables such as regional origin and age of the signer. We investigated over 10,000 mouth actions from 70 signers, and found that the mouth and the hands are equally active during signing. Moreover, around 80 % of all mouth actions are mouthings, while the remaining 20 % are unrelated to Dutch. We found frequency differences between individual signers and a small effect for level of education, but not for other sociolinguistic variables. Our results provide genuine evidence that mouthings form an inextricable component of signed interaction. Rather than displaying effects of competition between languages or spoken language suppression, NGT signers demonstrate the potential of the visual modality to conjoin parallel information streams.

Hands and faces: The expression of modality in ZEI, Iranian Sign Language

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 655-686 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Siyavoshi
Keyword(s):  
Sign Language ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Epistemic Modality ◽  
Effective Control ◽  
Cognitive Grammar ◽  
Downward Movement ◽  
Sign Languages ◽  
The Face ◽  
Manual Signs ◽  
Grammar Model

Abstract This paper presents a study of modality in Iranian Sign Language (ZEI) from a cognitive perspective, aimed at analyzing two linguistic channels: facial and manual. While facial markers and their grammatical functions have been studied in some sign languages, we have few detailed analyses of the facial channel in comparison with the manual channel in conveying modal concepts. This study focuses on the interaction between manual and facial markers. A description of manual modal signs is offered. Three facial markers and their modality values are also examined: squinted eyes, brow furrow, and downward movement of lip corners (horseshoe mouth). In addition to offering this first descriptive analysis of modality in ZEI, this paper also applies the Cognitive Grammar model of modality, the Control Cycle, and the Reality Model, classifying modals into two kinds, effective and epistemic. It is suggested that effective control, including effective modality, tends to be expressed on the hands, while facial markers play an important role in marking epistemic assessment, one manifestation of which is epistemic modality. ZEI, like some other sign languages, exhibits an asymmetry between the number of manual signs and facial markers expressing epistemic modality: while the face can be active in the expression of effective modality, it is commonly the only means of expressing epistemic modality. By positing an epistemic core in effective modality, Cognitive Grammar provides a theoretical basis for these findings.

Taboos and euphemisms in sex-related signs in Asian sign languages

Linguistics ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Y. B. Sze ◽  
Monica Xiao Wei ◽  
Aaron Yiu Leung Wong
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Sign Language ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Body Parts ◽  
Sign Languages ◽  
Politeness Strategies ◽  
Visual Reference ◽  
Japanese Sign Language ◽  
Hong Kong Sign Language ◽  
Deaf Signers

AbstractThis paper investigates sex-related euphemisms in four Asia sign languages, namely, Hong Kong Sign Language (HKSL), Jakarta Sign Language (JakSL) (Indonesia), Sri Lankan Sign Language (SLSL) and Japanese Sign Language (JSL). It aims at finding out if direct visual reference to sex-related body parts or concepts is taboo to Deaf signers and if this is the case, what strategies they adopt to form the corresponding euphemistic expressions. It will be argued that even though Deaf signers are used to the visual explicitness of the signing modality, the highly iconic nature of certain sex-related signs can still be offensive at times, thus giving rise to euphemistic expressions. While certain euphemistic strategies by the Deaf signers target at toning down the degree of visual iconicity originally associated with the taboo signs, most of the remaining strategies show striking resemblance to those used in spoken languages, suggesting the universality of these verbal politeness strategies across language modalities.

Proper Name Machine Translation from Japanese to Japanese Sign Language

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taro Miyazaki ◽  
Naoto Kato ◽  
Seiki Inoue ◽  
Shuichi Umeda ◽  
Makiko Azuma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sign Language ◽  
Machine Translation ◽  
Proper Name ◽  
Japanese Sign Language
Sign in / Sign up

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