Special Nature of Verbs in Sign Languages

Reference Grammar ◽

This paper is concerned with the special nature of Sign Language verbs, in particular to this research, Irish Sign Language (ISL) verbs. We use Role and Reference Grammar (RRG) (Van Valin 2005) to provide a definition of the structure of lexical entries that are sufficiently rich and universal in nature to represent ISL verbs. This work is part of research work in the development of a linguistically motivated computational framework for ISL. We use RRG (Van Valin and LaPolla 1997) as the theoretical framework of this study. RRG takes language to be a system of communicative social action, and accordingly, analysing the communicative functions of grammatical structures plays a vital role in grammatical description and theory from this perspective (Van Valin 2005). Using RRG provides significant theoretical and technical challenges within both RRG and software. We provide an account of the morphological and grammatical information that can be found within ISL verbs. We use the Signs of Ireland corpus (SOI) to access the relevant linguistic data pertinent to ISL (Leeson et al, 2006). Further to this we use ELAN software as an application tool, which allows us to view the corpus and collate relevant linguistic phenomena pertinent to ISL. We utilise the Event Visibility Hypothesis (EVH) (Wilbur 2008) in the development of our proposed lexicon architecture. We refer to Articulatory Structure Level (Murtagh 2018) in the development of a linguistically motivated computational definition of lexicon entries that are sufficiently robust in nature to represent ISL verbs within the RRG lexicon. We utilise this new level of lexical representation (Pustejovsky 1995), which describes the essential (computational) phonological parameters of an object as defined by the lexical item to cater specifically for the computational linguistic phenomena consistent with signed languages, in particular to this research ISL, enabling us to provide an adequate account of ISL verbs within the RRG lexicon.

Patterned iconicity in sign language lexicons

Gesture ◽

10.1075/gest.13.3.03pad ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 287-308 ◽

Cited By ~ 52

Author(s):

Carol A. Padden ◽

Irit Meir ◽

So-One Hwang ◽

Ryan Lepic ◽

Sharon Seegers ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sign Language ◽

Sign Languages ◽

Shared Property ◽

Iconicity is an acknowledged property of both gesture and sign language. In contrast to the familiar definition of iconicity as a correspondence between individual forms and their referents, we explore iconicity as a shared property among groups of signs, in what we call patterned iconicity. In this paper, we focus on iconic strategies used by hearing silent gesturers and by signers of three unrelated sign languages in an elicitation task featuring pictures of hand-held manufactured tools. As in previous gesture literature, we find that silent gesturers largely prefer a handling strategy, though some use an instrument strategy, in which the handshape represents the shape of the tool. There are additional differences in use of handling and instrument strategies for hand-held tools across the different sign languages, suggesting typological differences in iconic patterning. Iconic patterning in each of the three sign languages demonstrates how gestural iconic resources are organized in the grammars of sign languages.

Syntactic Valence in Role and Reference Grammar

Journal of English Studies ◽

10.18172/jes.130 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

pp. 233

Author(s):

Beatriz Martínez Fernández

Keyword(s):

Passive Voice ◽

New Approach ◽

Reference Grammar ◽

Accurate Treatment ◽

Proper Definition ◽

Critical Revision ◽

Transitivity has traditionally been equated with the number of syntactic arguments that a verb takes. However, Role and Reference Grammar (RRG) puts forward a new approach that defines transitivity in terms of macroroles, leaving the notion of syntactic valence aside. It is perhaps for this reason that the notion of syntactic valence has not received sufficient attention in this framework, and, consequently, some inconsistencies have been identified in its definition. To mention only a few, there is no proper definition of the criteria that determine the notion of syntactic valence, and many of the grammatical processes that have some impact on it – the use of the passive voice and imperatives, the presence of argument-adjuncts, or the position of the arguments in the clause – are overlooked. Hence, in this paper I carry out a critical revision of the definition of syntactic valence and aim to set out some guidelines for a more accurate treatment of this notion within the RRG framework.

Early Development of Chinese Sign Language in Shanghai Schools for the Deaf

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2021.702620 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Hao Lin

Keyword(s):

Sign Language ◽

Early Development ◽

Deaf Education ◽

Vital Role ◽

Key Factors ◽

Deaf Students ◽

Sign Languages ◽

Schools For The Deaf ◽

Deaf Teachers ◽

Deaf School

The Shanghai variant of Chinese Sign Language (SCSL) is one of the main variants of Chinese sign languages, greatly influencing other sign languages, such as Hong Kong Sign Language and Singapore Sign Language. This paper is a first attempt to trace its origins and early history and deaf education in Shanghai until 1949. The data are collected in two ways: first, by delving into the archives, i.e., written records of deaf history and education in China during that time; second, by interviewing surviving deaf students who went to school before or around 1949. Our findings are as follows: (a) SCSL began in the 1920s and emerged as a distinct sign language in the 1940s. Two deaf schools were the power shaping its progress among several deaf schools established in Shanghai: Fryer deaf school and Group learning deaf school. The sign variants of these two schools form the backbone of SCSL. (b) Deaf teachers are one of the key factors that affect the early development of a sign language. Chinese deaf played a vital role in the rise and spread of SCSL in the 1930s and 1940s, as some deaf teachers opened deaf schools in Shanghai and other cities, even other countries or areas, thus helping SCSL to spread. (c) Arising in an international and multilingual environment, SCSL is characterized by traces of foreign sign languages, especially ASL, due to language contacts linked to deaf education at that time, e.g., some proper names, like XUJIAHUI, SHANGHAI-1 and some high-frequency words like water. (d) However, foreign sign languages' direct influence is negligible due to the lack of participation of deaf foreigners in deaf education in Shanghai and oralism advocated by foreign educators in relevant deaf schools. To sum up, deaf teachers for deaf schools are key to the early development and spread of SCSL.

VERBAL CLITICS IN ROLE AND REFERENCE GRAMMAR

Humanities & Social Sciences Reviews ◽

10.18510/hssr.2021.9254 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 581-597

Author(s):

Ghani Rahman ◽

Abdul Hamid ◽

Laraib Rahat ◽

Arshad Ali Khan ◽

Abid Karam

Keyword(s):

Projection Operator ◽

Logical Structure ◽

Lexical Representation ◽

Reference Framework ◽

Reference Grammar ◽

Focus Structure ◽

Activation Level ◽

Relational Aspect ◽

Dative Arguments

Purpose of the study: The present study analyses the interplay of semantics, syntax and pragmatics in Pashto clauses containing verbal clitics (VC) in the light of the Role and Reference framework. It particularly focuses on the relational aspect of the clause. The lexical representation of the predicating elements is presented. Methodology: The four projections of a Pashto clause i.e., constituent projection, operator projection, logical structure projection and focus structure projection are analyzed in the Role and Reference Grammar theoretical framework. Main Findings: The findings of the study show that VCs are different from both agreement markers and pronouns with some shared properties. A linking algorithm is proposed for Pashto from semantics to syntax and syntax-to-semantics based on the activation level of the referents. Applications of this study: The study analyses the discourse pragmatic conditions responsible for the occurrence of VCs in Pashto clause terms of role and reference grammar. The novelty of this study: The study has novelty in the sense that it describes the structure of the Pashto clause from a discourse pragmatic perspective which has never been investigated in previous studies. The study shows the movement is triggered by both actor (in present) and undergoer (in past) along with syntactic neutralization. The VCs are different from both agreement markers and pronouns with some shared properties identifying dative arguments like arguments and causing doubling like agreement markers and so, are linked to an ‘agreement index’ node.

Sign Language Phonology

Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Linguistics ◽

10.1093/acrefore/9780199384655.013.117 ◽

2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Diane Brentari ◽

Jordan Fenlon ◽

Kearsy Cormier

Keyword(s):

Sign Language ◽

Infinite Number ◽

Communication Channel ◽

Structural Units ◽

Sign Languages ◽

Phonological Word ◽

System P ◽

Definition Of ◽

Phonological System

Sign language phonology is the abstract grammatical component where primitive structural units are combined to create an infinite number of meaningful utterances. Although the notion of phonology is traditionally based on sound systems, phonology also includes the equivalent component of the grammar in sign languages, because it is tied to the grammatical organization, and not to particular content. This definition of phonology helps us see that the term covers all phenomena organized by constituents such as the syllable, the phonological word, and the higher-level prosodic units, as well as the structural primitives such as features, timing units, and autosegmental tiers, and it does not matter if the content is vocal or manual. Therefore, the units of sign language phonology and their phonotactics provide opportunities to observe the interaction between phonology and other components of the grammar in a different communication channel, or modality. This comparison allows us to better understand how the modality of a language influences its phonological system.

The lexical representation of English verbs of action. Complex predicates and structures

Revista de Lingüística y Lenguas Aplicadas ◽

10.4995/rlyla.2019.11080 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 131

Author(s):

Ana Elvira Ojanguren López

Keyword(s):

Logical Structure ◽

Point Of View ◽

Lexical Representation ◽

Complex Predicates ◽

Reference Grammar ◽

Canonical Representations ◽

Syntactic Function ◽

Logical Structures ◽

Theoretical Side

This article aims at proposing a lexical representation for a set of English verbs of action. The analysis is carried out on the grounds of Role and Reference Grammar (RRG) and includes aspects like Aktionsart type, macrorole and syntactic function assignment, linking, as well as nexus and juncture. Against this background, the meaning components of the verbs in question are analysed, in such a way that a logical structure based on a lexical representation is defined for each verbal class. Conclusions fall on both the descriptive and the theoretical side. From the descriptive point of view, Fail and Try verbs constitute a unified verbal class as regards their meaning components and grammatical behaviour and, thus, they are represented by means of a unified logical structure. Conversely, Prevent verbs and Forbid verbs require different logical structures that account for their divergent grammatical behaviour, corresponding to the Causative Activity and Causative Achievement Aktionsart types respectively. On the theoretical side, the logical structures of End verbs, Fail verbs, Try verbs and Prevent verbs stick to the canonical representations of RRG, while those of Hinder verbs and Refrain verbs require complex predicates and complex logical structures which allow to incorporate extra meaning components and to combine different Aktionsart types.

A Computer-based Clinical Information System

Methods of Information in Medicine ◽

10.1055/s-0038-1635501 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 26 (04) ◽

pp. 189-194

Author(s):

S. S. El-Gamal

Keyword(s):

Information System ◽

Hospital Information System ◽

Clinical Information System ◽

Research Work ◽

Clinical Information ◽

Hospital Staff ◽

Vital Role ◽

Daily Routine ◽

Specialized Hospital ◽

Computer Based

SummaryModern information technology offers new opportunities for the storage and manipulation of hospital information. A computer-based hospital information system, dedicated to urology and nephrology, was designed and developed in our center. It involves in principle the employment of a program that allows the analysis of non-restricted, non-codified texts for the retrieval and processing of clinical data and its operation by non-computer-specialized hospital staff.This Hospital Information System now plays a vital role in the efficient provision of a good quality service and is used in daily routine and research work in this hospital. This paper describes this specialized Hospital Information System.

Segmentation In Medical Resonance images to extract the cancerous nodule for early diagnosis on cancer

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COMPUTERS & TECHNOLOGY ◽

10.24297/ijct.v3i2a.2816 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 253-255

Author(s):

Raman Brar

Keyword(s):

Human Lung ◽

Research Work ◽

Vital Role ◽

Watershed Algorithm ◽

Segmentation Method ◽

Resonance Imaging ◽

Segmentation Methods ◽

Segmentation Accuracy ◽

Background Segmentation ◽

Lung Mri

Image segmentation plays a vital role in several medical imaging programs by assisting the delineation of physiological structures along with other parts. The objective of this research work is to segmentize human lung MRI (Medical resonance Imaging) images for early detection of cancer.Watershed Transform Technique is implemented as the Segmentation method in this work. Some comparative experiments using both directly applied watershed algorithm and after marking foreground and computed background segmentation methods show the improved lung segmentation accuracy in some image cases.

Bottlenecks in the Implementation of On-Site Wastewater Treatment Plants on a Large Scale in The Netherlands

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.1990.0214 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 22 (3-4) ◽

pp. 291-298

Author(s):

Frits A. Fastenau ◽

Jaap H. J. M. van der Graaf ◽

Gerard Martijnse

Keyword(s):

Wastewater Treatment ◽

The Netherlands ◽

Large Scale ◽

Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽

Housing Stock ◽

Research Work ◽

Field Research ◽

Domestic Wastewater ◽

Research Programme ◽

More than 95 % of the total housing stock in the Netherlands is connected to central sewerage systems and in most cases the wastewater is treated biologically. As connection to central sewerage systems has reached its economic limits, interest in on-site treatment of the domestic wastewater of the remaining premises is increasing. A large scale research programme into on-site wastewater treatment up to population equivalents of 200 persons has therefore been initiated by the Dutch Ministry of Housing, Physical Planning and Environment. Intensive field-research work did establish that the technological features of most on-site biological treatment systems were satisfactory. A large scale implementation of these systems is however obstructed in different extents by problems of an organisational, financial and/or juridical nature and management difficulties. At present research is carried out to identify these bottlenecks and to analyse possible solutions. Some preliminary results are given which involve the following ‘bottlenecks':-legislation: absence of co-ordination and absence of a definition of ‘surface water';-absence of subsidies;-ownership: divisions in task-setting of Municipalities and Waterboards; divisions involved with cost-sharing;-inspection; operational control and maintenance; organisation of management;-discharge permits;-pollution levy;-sludge disposal. Final decisions and practical elaboration of policies towards on-site treatment will have to be formulated in a broad discussion with all the authorities and interest groups involved.

Role and rationale of Kaala in the field of Ayurvedic Pharmaceutics - A Conceptual Approach

Journal of Ayurveda and Integrated Medical Sciences (JAIMS) ◽

10.21760/jaims.v2i4.9346 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2 (4) ◽

Author(s):

Vrinda Bhat ◽

Surekha S. Medikeri ◽

Shobha G. Hiremath

Keyword(s):

Dosage Form ◽

Pharmaceutical Preparation ◽

Vital Role ◽

Constant Factor ◽

Conceptual Approach ◽

Safety And Efficacy ◽

Significant Aspect ◽

Samskara is defined as a process of bringing about a desired modification or establishing a change of property in a drug or group of drugs. In the process of Aushadhi Nirmana, varied number of procedures (Samskaras) are adopted to inculcate the desired dosage form and efficacy to the medicine. Among all Samskaras, Kaala plays a vital role in Ayurvedic pharmaceutics. Kaala is a constant factor which follows incoherently in every step of Aushadhi Nirmana. Active principles of plants vary in every season and at different quarters of the day. After the collection of drugs for a pharmaceutical preparation, Kaala plays its role during Paka of various formulations. The definition of pharmaceutics does not end with mere production of a dosage form but also includes its safety and efficacy. Kaala has the potential to influence both these factors. Thus, our Acharyas have provided meticulous information on Ayurvedic pharmaceutics giving prime importance to a minute, yet very significant aspect called “Kaala”.