Sentential negation in South African Sign Language: A case study

Abstract

As with other sign languages, South African Sign Language (SASL) expresses negation using both manual and non-manual features. In this case study, naturalistic data provided by two native signers of SASL are analysed to show the syntactic relationship between these two sets of features. Using a Principles and Parameters approach and Government and Binding Theory, we investigate the syntactic scope of negation in our SASL data. We observe that side-to-side headshake, as a non-manual feature, appears to be the chief clausal negator in SASL, with a clause-final manual negative particle, NOT, playing a secondary role. We describe the negative headshake as a featural affix which is base-generated in the head of NegP and triggers V-to-Neg raising. The negative particle NOT appears to be base-generated in the Specifier of NegP. Suggestions for further syntactic research on SASL are provided.

A preliminary look at negative constructions in South African Sign Language: Question-Answer clauses

“…In this section I describe a particular construction that has been observed in both elicited material, collected for use as material for transcription exercises in an undergraduate course on sign language linguistics, and in spontaneous material in online YouTube videos. This section therefore presents some additional observations to supplement those of De Barros and Siebörger (2016) and to provide the next step on the path to providing a comprehensive account of negative constructions in SASL. 7 The handshape fonts are created by CSLDS, CUHK.…”

“…9 However, it is not clear whether any of the observed negative sentences in the study contained post-verbal material (other than the manual negator when it was present). Following Vermeerbergen et al (2007), De Barros and Siebörger (2016) assume that the word order of SASL is SOV or OSV.…”