Adverbial Morphemes in Tactile ASL - Gallaudet University

PDE – Steven D. Collins
Findings and Interpretations
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4.1.2.4. Example Four (Time)
Gloss from Transcription:
THREE THAT / PLUG-INTO CL:1 “wire goes around over the table” TABLE
/ WHERE PUT a,b,c,… LEAVE-IN-THAT-PLACE /// NOT USE IX-lf
(control unit?) WAVE-NO UNTIL YOU FEEL++ / SEE #IF PAGER STILL
WORK // PUSH-BUTTON (on phone transmitter) KEEP+++ UNTIL GOOD
PUSH-BUTTON (on phone transmitter)++ / DEAD // SAME-AS CL:C
“mounted box on the CL:B ‘door jamb’” // PUSH-BUTTON(on doorbell
transmitter)++++ DEAD / CHANGE(battery) IX(doorbell)++ V-O-L-T 9++++
// IX(phone transmitter) V-O-L-T 9 CHEAP / PAGER EXPENSIVE(emph) /
EXPENSIVE
English Translation:
I just leave the three transmitters where I put them. You don’t touch the
control unit unless you want to test if the pager is still working. You keep the
button pressed until you see (the battery) is good. This is similar to checking
the doorbell battery. Use a 9-volt battery when changing the battery. A 9-volt
battery is inexpensive while it is very expensive to replace the pager battery.
Visual ASL:
In visual ASL, it is rarely necessary to use a sign for UNTIL in order to show
a time frame. Conditionals like this are produced with a facial expression
consisting of a movement of the head up and then downwards.
Tactile ASL:
In Tactile ASL, the sign for UNTIL must be explicitly signed because a Deaf-
Blind individual cannot observe the non-manual signal.
Analysis of Variation:
In the visual ASL production of the sign, the use of a non-tactile facial
expression is sufficient to communicate the adverb. There is no need for the
signer to sign UNTIL. In the Tactile ASL production of the sign, a Deaf-Blind
individual is not able to observe the non-tactile portion of the sign and
consequently, UNTIL must be signed explicitly.
Comments:
The adverb expressing time is UNTIL.
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