From meaning to form and back in American Sign Language verbal classifier morphemes. (March 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: de Lint, Vanja
• Is Part Of: Word structure. Volume 13:Number 1(2020)
• Page Start: 69
• Page End: 101
• Publication Date: 2020-03
• Subjects: American Sign Language -- argument structure -- classifiers -- manner verbs -- (non-)agentive morphemes -- unaccusativity; Grammar, Comparative and general -- Morphology -- Periodicals; 415
• DOI: 10.3366/word.2020.0160
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1750-1245

Abstract

Abstract : In a seminal paper, Benedicto & Brentari (2004) present a theoretical proposal in which they analyze American Sign Language (ASL) classifier morphemes as instantiations of functional heads F1 and F2 that determine the external or internal position of the argument that lands in their specifier through a structural agreement relation. It has served as a ground for several follow-up studies investigating argument structure in sign language classifier constructions. However, their proposal requires both theoretical amendment and empirical corroboration. In this paper, I critically assess the proposal by Benedicto & Brentari (2004) and provide empirical support for a modified version.