LOOKing for multi-word expressions in American Sign Language

Usage-based linguistics postulates that multi-word expressions constitute a substantial part of language structure and use, and are formed through repeated chunking and stored as exemplar wholes. They are also re-used to produce new sequences by means of schematization. While there is extensive rese...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cognitive linguistics 2022-05, Vol.33 (2), p.291-337
Main Author: Hou, Lynn
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
American Sign Language
chunking
Cognition
Cognitive ability
Formulaic language
Grammaticalization
Language
Language usage
Metaphor
multi-word expressions
Sign language
Syntax
Verbs
Visual perception
Visual stimuli
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Usage-based linguistics postulates that multi-word expressions constitute a substantial part of language structure and use, and are formed through repeated chunking and stored as exemplar wholes. They are also re-used to produce new sequences by means of schematization. While there is extensive research on multi-word expressions in many spoken languages, little is known about the status of multi-word expressions in the mainstream U.S. variety of American Sign Language (ASL). This paper investigates recurring multi-word expressions, or sequences of multiple signs, that involve a high-frequency sign of visual perception glossed as and the family of ‘look’ signs. The sign exhibits two broad functions: /‘vision’ references literal or metaphorical vision and /‘reaction’ signals a person’s reaction to a visual stimulus. Data analysis reveals that there are recurring sequences in distinct syntactic environments associated with the two functions of , suggesting that is in the process of grammaticalization from a verb of visual perception to a stance verb. The sequences demonstrate the emergence of linguistic structure from repeated use through the domain-general cognitive process of chunking in ASL.
ISSN:0936-5907
1613-3641
DOI:10.1515/cog-2020-0086