Numeral-Incorporating Roots in Numeral Systems A Comparative Analysis of Two Sign Languages

Numeral-incorporating roots in the numeral systems of Argentine Sign Language (LSA) and Catalan Sign Language (LSC), as well as the main features of the number systems of both languages, are described and compared. Informants discussed the use of numerals and roots in both languages (in most cases i...

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Published inSign language studies Vol. 11; no. 1; pp. 55 - 75
Main Authors FUENTES, MARIANA, MASSONE, MARÍA IGNACIA, DEL PILAR FERNÁNDEZ-VIADER, MARÍA, MAKOTRINSKY, ALEJANDRO, PULGARÍN, FRANCISCA
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Washington Gallaudet University Press 01.10.2010
Subjects
American Sign Language
Argentina
Contrastive Linguistics
Derivational morphology
Foreign Countries
Grammar
Language
Latent semantic analysis
Linguistics
Nouns
Number Systems
Numbers
Numerals
Semiotics
Sign Language
Sign languages
Spain (Catalonia)
Syntax
Words
Zero
Argentina
Spain
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Summary:Numeral-incorporating roots in the numeral systems of Argentine Sign Language (LSA) and Catalan Sign Language (LSC), as well as the main features of the number systems of both languages, are described and compared. Informants discussed the use of numerals and roots in both languages (in most cases in natural contexts). Ten informants took part in the LSC data collection, and six in the LSA data collection. The data were corroborated by analyzing the videos available at www.youtube.com/confargsordos (for LSA) and by videos and books provided by the ILLESCAT Foundation (for LSC), as well as by previous research. A general inventory of roots in both languages and specifically of roots in both numerals systems was carried out. The role of roots in the formation of ordinals and cardinals and the main features of both number systems are described. The data suggest that numeral-incorporating roots in these number systems are formed only from numerals that do not derive from manual counting. This assumption is discussed, and further research about this point is emphasized.
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ISSN:0302-1475
1533-6263
1533-6263
DOI:10.1353/sls.2010.0000