scholarly journals Nominal-internal word order in Hong Kong Sign Language and Cantonese: A Comparative Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 43-55
Author(s):  
Jieqiong Li ◽  
Gladys Tang
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Comparative Study ◽  
Sign Language ◽  
Word Order ◽  
Hong Kong Sign Language

Historical Development of Hong Kong Sign Language

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Sze ◽  
Connie Lo ◽  
Lisa Lo ◽  
Kenny Chu
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Sign Language ◽  
Historical Development ◽  
Hong Kong Sign Language

Location variation in Hong Kong Sign Language (HKSL)

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wai Yan Rebecca Siu
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Work Environment ◽  
American Sign Language ◽  
Sign Language ◽  
Social Factors ◽  
American Sign ◽  
Sociolinguistic Variation ◽  
Citation Form ◽  
Hong Kong Sign Language ◽  
New Zealand Sign Language

Abstract This paper presents results from a study of sociolinguistic variation in Hong Kong Sign Language (HKSL). Specifically, it reports findings about location variation in a class of signs like know that are produced at/above the signer’s forehead in their citation form, but are sometimes articulated at a lower location in everyday conversation. Eight hundred tokens of target signs from 40 signers were analyzed. As also found in studies of location ‘dropping’ in similar signs in American Sign Language, Australian Sign Language, and New Zealand Sign Language, variation in HKSL correlates with linguistic and social factors in a systematic way (Lucas, Bayley, & Valli, 2001; Schembri, McKee, McKee, Pivac, Johnston, & Goswell, 2009). A comparison of findings across these four languages is presented and discussed. The results of the present study suggest that a set of forehead-located signs that express the names of deaf schools may have affected results due to their salience. The work environment (i.e., sign language related work roles) of participants may also affect ‘careful’ versus lowered production of forehead signs.

R-impersonals in Hong Kong Sign Language

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 284-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Sze ◽  
Gladys Tang
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Sign Language ◽  
Chinese Character ◽  
Human Person ◽  
Personal Pronouns ◽  
Ipsilateral Side ◽  
Use Of Space ◽  
Specific Locus ◽  
Hong Kong Sign Language

Abstract This paper discusses R-impersonals in Hong Kong Sign Language (HKSL). As evidenced in our questionnaire and conversation data, R-impersonals in HKSL typically make use of null forms, the non-specific indefinite determiner (i.e., onedet-path (someone)/onedet-path (anyone)), distinguished by non-manual markers), and, occasionally, the Chinese character sign human/person. HKSL does not show impersonal uses of personal pronouns (e.g., they, you) which are commonly found in spoken languages. The nominal strategies are determined by the contexts and the referential properties of the impersonal referents, and they differ in the use of space in representing the impersonal referents in subsequent discourse. R-impersonal referents encoded by onedet-path (someone)/onedet-path (anyone) are associated with an area of the upper part of the ipsilateral side of the signing space, but they can still be assigned to a specific locus if the subsequent discourse requires locative information. Impersonal referents introduced by null forms or the Chinese character sign human/person are typically not spatially anchored.

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