ICONICITY IN DISCOURSE, THE ROLE OF SPACE IN FRENCH SIGN LANGUAGE. Marie-Anne Sallandre Université Paris 8 CNRS UMR

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1 ICONICITY IN DISCOURSE, THE ROLE OF SPACE IN FRENCH SIGN LANGUAGE Marie-Anne Sallandre Université Paris 8 CNRS UMR 7023 msallandre@univ-paris8.fr Space in languages Conference, ENS Paris 7-8 Feb. 2003

2 CONTENTS Introduction 1. The classifier system and the proforms in French Sign Language (LSF) 2. Constraints and strategies for spatialisation in a narrative 3. Example of Diagrammatic Space Conclusion

3 INTRODUCTION n Some remarks and results from my Ph.D. n The linguistic model for Sign Languages n 2 Corpora utilised : 1) Video Corpus LS COLIN (Cuxac et al, 2002) : Horse Story n 1 13 Deaf adult signers. (Parts 1 & 2) 2) Nasro-Temp (2001) 1 Deaf signer (Part 3)

4 The Horse Story

5 MODEL OF AN ICONIC GRAMMAR FOR SIGN LANGUAGE (Cuxac 2000) Process of iconisation semiotic intentionality Highly Iconic Structure (with iconic intent) SPECIFIC Iconicity of standard signs - Lexicon (without iconic intent) GENERIC Transfer of size Transfer of situation Transfers of person Molecular character of signs and/or form (4 parameters) - Compositionality Personal T. T. Stereotype Double T. Pseudo-T. Aparte Half-Transfer Standard generic items

6 Two different intents in signifying - Definition of imagistic iconicity : when there is a formal resemblance between the sign and what is being referred to in the extra-linguistic world of experience. - There are 2 manners of signifying : by showing (transfer structures, HIS) and without showing (standard lexicon): SIGNIFY IN SL BY SHOWING Illustrative intent Highly Iconic Structures - Transfers WITHOUT SHOWING Non-illustrative intent Standard Iconic Structures Ex : Describing a horse Ex : the standard sign [HORSE]

7 1. The classifier system and the proforms in French Sign Language n n n The classifier system in the literature for Sign Languages. Supalla 1986, Schembri 2003, Emmorey 2001 A break with the traditional literature on the classifier system. Slobin et al : property markers French terminology. Cuxac 2001 : proforms and transfers Our hypothesis : n proforms : a highly iconic handshape, which takes up the form of an object, rather than the object itself. n transfers : refer to the whole structure (divided into transfers of form/size, situation, and person). n Examples : A selection of proform images the fences in the Horse Story

8 Examples of proforms (1) 1 form ( U handshape) for 2 entities n Chev1_Kha : n Proform long object, 2D (for the fence), in DT n Chev2_Kha : n Proform animal leg, in TP

9 Examples of proforms (2) Fig 1 through 6 show 6 occurrences of different proforms for 1 individual entity (the fences) :

10 Examples of proforms (3) Video excerpt n Chev_Chr : Describing the fences (Three steps)

11 2. Constraints and strategies for spatialisation in a narrative (the Horse Story) n Point of departure : we wanted to show how, at the beginning of this simple story, each of the signers places the protagonists according to his point of view. n The figure/ground theory Talmy (1983, 2000), Vandeloise (1986), Cadiot & Visetti ( 2001) n Legend utilised for the schemas horse cow bird fence

12 Hypothesis The position of the fence acts as a constraint on the type of transfers utilised. Question : what strategies does this constraint entail?

13 The figure/ground theory for the Horse Story in LSF n n n n n field and fence = ground horse = principal figure (relator), mobile element to be situated fence = ground (relatum )- the element in relation to which the form is situated. cow = also a figure, as it is the «target» that the horse must reach. bird = also a figure which plays the role of observer and then the helper. The Horse Story - Figure n 2 & 3

14 Constraints and strategies for spatialisation (2) Group 1 : 6 signers Group 2 : 7 signers

15 Constraints and strategies for spatialisation (3) n Group 1 : 46 % of the signers orientate the fence along the sagittal plane (from their body forwards) Chev_Lau : TF (fence) Chev_Lau : TS (jump)

16 Group 1 : 46 % of the signers - the sagittal plane Strategies utilised : This first option favors a succession of situational transfers, having as consequence : n the scene is viewed in a more detached manner, from a distance ; n in comparison with cinematographic technique: long shot n the frame of reference tends to be absolute, (Levinson (1996) and Emmorey (1999)) n Obligation to thematise the horse protagonist by means of the standard sign [HORSE]. To introduce this protagonist we then find: [cheval] + «pointing there» (toward the portion of space on the right or the left of the fence).

17 Constraints and strategies for spatialisation (4) n Group 2 : 54 % of the signers orientate the fence along the horizontal plane (from right to left or the inverse), or slightly inclined. Chev_Vic : DT = TP (horse) + TF (fence) Chev_Vic1: TP (Horse)

18 Group 2 : 54 % of the signers - the horizontal plane Strategies utilised : This option creates a physical proximity between the signer and the fence, that is to say that the signer disposes of an extremely reduced physical space between his body strictly speaking and the portion of space where he has situated the fence. This has as consequence : n The personal transfer of the horse is favored. n the thematisation of [HORSE] is not required n in comparison with cinematographic technique: long shot n the frame of reference tends to be relative (the signer describes the scene from his own perspective, following Emmorey (1999))

19 Conclusion (2) What is constructed is a veritable discursive dynamic, thanks to the quadridimensional character of Sign Language, where space itself is an integral part of this construction (which breathes life into the ideas of Talmy, Vandeloise, etc.).

20 3. Example of Diagrammatic Space n The background theory : the diagram Peirce (1932), Haiman (1985), Fischer (2000) n Video Example (45 second-long excerpt) Nasro_Temp : Video Corpus «the time schedule», involving both diagrammatic and iconic construction of space. I teach FSL on Monday afternoon at the University of Paris 8 and on Friday morning at the Museum AM.

21 Example of Diagrammatic Space Video excerpt : Nasro_Temp

22 Construction of a diagrammatic space with pointing gestures and standard signs FRIDAY MONDAY Pointing gestures in 2 places [TEACH] in 2 referential spaces

23 Schematic representation of the time schedule "TEACH LSF" (twice a week in two different places) similar action : TEACH FSL Monday Tuesday Wed. Thursday Friday Weekend Morning Paris 8 University (before) Museum Afternoon Paris 8 University (now) Night

24 Conclusion (Part 3) What renders this sequence very diagrammatic is the presence of : n Pointing gestures which marks the permanence of temporal and spatial references; n Standard signs within a diagrammatic framework. There is superb «telescopic» functionning of the two. We can conclude that this is due to the malleability of standard signs.

25 CONCLUSION : a spatial grammar 1) Proforms not classifiers : the same object can be designated using different handshapes, i.e. selecting different properties of the object to represent it 2) Corpus shows : spatial constraints on the type of transfers utilized 3) Diagrammatic iconicity in LSF: by pointing gestures together with standard signs THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

26 MANY THANKS TO : n The Deaf signers n P. Cadiot, C. Cuxac, Paris 8 University n S. Schwartz, FSL interpreter n S. Schaefer, English translator n L. Faussillon, G. Gonzalez, A. Balvet, INJS n I. Fusellier, N. Monteillard, Paris 8 University