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Review
. 2022 May 17:13:808493.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.808493. eCollection 2022.

A Usage-Based Proposal for Argument Structure of Directional Verbs in American Sign Language

Lynn Hou  1
Affiliations
Review

A Usage-Based Proposal for Argument Structure of Directional Verbs in American Sign Language

Lynn Hou. Front Psychol. .

Abstract

Verb agreement in signed languages has received substantial attention for a long time. Despite the numerous analyses about the linguistic status of verb agreement, there is little discussion about the argument structure associated with "directional verbs," also known as agreeing/agreement or indicating verbs. This paper proposes a usage-based approach for analyzing argument structure constructions of directional verbs in American Sign Language (ASL). The proposal offers low-level constructions for reported speech, non-dedicated passive and reflexive, and stance verb constructions, which capture the patterns, abstracted from recurring usage events, that are part of users' linguistic knowledge. The approach has potential to push the field of sign linguistics in new directions of understanding the interplay of language use and structure.

Keywords: American Sign Language; argument structure; construction grammar; usage-based linguistics; verb agreement.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
The use of GIVE in an argument structure construction. Images produced with permission, source information available in the Supplementary Material.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
An example of ASK in RSC Type 1. Images produced with permission, source information available in the Supplementary Material.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
An instance of AWARD.1 in an apparently non-first person reading. Images produced with permission, source information available in the Supplementary Material.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
The dictionary entry for CONVINCE. Source: https://aslsignbank.haskins.yale.edu/dictionary/gloss/1984.html. Images produced with permission, source information available in the Supplementary Material.
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
An example of in CONVINCE.1 in an indefinite construction. Images produced with permission, source information available in the Supplementary Material.
FIGURE 6
FIGURE 6
Another example of CONVINCE.1 in a passive construction. Images produced with permission, source information available in the Supplementary Material.
FIGURE 7
FIGURE 7
An instance of LOOK/“vision.” Images produced with permission, source information available in the Supplementary Material.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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