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Situation Types in Thai Sign Language

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Situation Types in Thai Sign Language SITUATION TYPES IN THAI SIGN LANGUAGE CASSIE WALLACE Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS IN LINGUISTICS Payap University January 2020 Title: Situation Types in Thai Sign Language Researcher: Cassie Wallace Degree: Master of Arts in Linguistics Advisor: Assistant Professor Audra Phillips, Ph.D. Approval Date: 22 January 2020 Institution: Payap University, Chiang Mai, Thailand The members of the thesis examination committee: 1. _________________________________ Committee Chair (Professor Christian Rathmann, Ph.D.) 2. _________________________________ Committee Member (Assistant Professor Audra Phillips, Ph.D.) 3. _________________________________ Committee Member (Elissa Ikeda, Ph.D.) Copyright © Cassie Wallace Payap University 2020 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many people have shared their time, knowledge, and expertise with me throughout this study. I am deeply grateful for their contributions. I am especially grateful to the members of the Thai Deaf community who helped me in this project: Mr. Kittichai Piumsuwansiri, Mr. Narakon Chaona, Mr. Sumet, Mr. Suphakit Piumsuwansiri, Ms. Chadaporn Sasomsub, Ms. Chadapon Boonpakob, Ms. Ninlawan Nanthataiphob, Mr. Phurithut Khongbangpor, Mr. Anupup Chaowchat, Ms. Orathai Chompusai, Ms. Rattanaporn Topinjai, Mr. Phuriphong Saenchaiban, Mr. Apichat Pokeaw, and Mr. Jarin Tienmai. Your insight into ThSL and patience in explaining various nuances of meaning were invaluable. Thank you for your friendship and encouragement. I would also like to thank Dr. Audra Phillips for the expertise and guidance she has provided. Thank you for walking me through such a complex and “fragile” topic. Your enthusiasm was often the incentive I needed to tackle the next step. I would also like to thank Dr. Tyler Heston for his help and encouragement during the initial stages of data collection and analysis. Thank you, too, to Dr. Christian Rathmann for your insightful questions and encouragement, and to Dr. Elissa Ikeda for your thorough reading and review of the thesis. The encouragement of friends, family members, and classmates along the way have made the journey a pleasant one. Thank you for your kindness and prayers. Finally, I would like to thank our good and gracious Father. He is the rock that is higher than I, the God who sees and provides. His has manifested His countless mercies, steadfast love, and perfect goodness throughout these years of study. He is worthy of all praise. Cassie Wallace i Title: Situation Types in Thai Sign Language Researcher: Cassie Wallace Degree: Master of Arts in Linguistics Advisor: Assistant Professor Audra Phillips, Ph.D. Approval Date: 22 January 2020 Institution: Payap University, Chiang Mai, Thailand Number of Pages: 128 Keywords: Thai Sign Language, situation types, event structure, aktionsart, Event Visibility Hypothesis ABSTRACT The dynamic, durative, and telic values of a predicate determine its situation type. These values are inherent features that can be uncovered systematically using test frames. However, the applicability of tests varies across languages, making it necessary to begin by identifying which tests work well in the language under study. Several researchers have developed tests successfully for spoken languages. However, only one such investigation has been conducted in a sign language. This study begins to address this disparity by systematically identifying situation types in Thai Sign Language (ThSL) using test frames. These test frames were first applied to a set of 30 ThSL predicates and the clauses tested over several sessions with a group of Thai Deaf. Extended testing with two new groups was then done with 12 of the predicates. The results indicate that ThSL covertly lexicalizes at least six situation types: individual-level states, stage-level states, activities, accomplishments, achievements, and semelfactives. The study also shows that the proposed morphological markings for telicity and duration (the Event Visibility Hypothesis) in sign languages do not account for the data found in ThSL. Furthermore, it shows that the bases for these proposed morphemes are shaky. Instead, the results of the study suggest that the phonological form of a predicate reflects various subevent properties of the encoded event. ii This is especially true of durative events since they involve multiple stages. For example, walk can be broken down into individual steps, each step representing a stage. The movement of the ThSL sign WALK reflects these stages. In contrast to clear, cyclic stages, certain events involve gradient change. For example, melt involves a gradient transition from solid to liquid. This change is reflected in the single, gradient movement of the ThSL sign MELT. The connection between the surface form of a predicate and its internal structure supports Kuhn’s (2017) iconic analysis of phonological movement rather than the EVH. iii ชื่อเรื่อง: รูปแบบสถานการณ์ในภาษามือไทย ผู้วิจัย: แคสซี่ วอลเลซ ปริญญา: ศิลปศาสตรมหาบัณฑิต (ภาษาศาสตร์) อาจารย์ที่ปรึกษาวิทยานิพนธ์หลัก: ผศ. ดร. ออดร้า ฟิลลิปส์ วันที่อนุมัติผลงาน: 22 มกราคม 2563 สถาบันการศึกษา: มหาวิทยาลัยพายัพ จังหวัดเชียงใหม่ ประเทศไทย จ านวนหน้า: 128 ค าส าคัญ: ภาษามือไทย, รูปแบบสถานการณ์, event structure, aktionsart, Event Visibility Hypothesis บทคัดย่อ ลักษณะทางพลวัตร ความต่อเนื่อง และหน้าที่ของภาคกริยาเป็นสิ่งที่ก าหนดรูปแบบสถานการณ์ คุณลักษณะเหล่านี้เป็นสิ่งที่สามารถเปิดเผยได้อย่างเป็นระบบโดยการใช้กรอบทดสอบ อย่างไรก็ตาม การใช้กรอบเหล่านี้แตกต่างกันไปในแต่ละภาษา ดังนั้น จึงเป็นสิ่งส าคัญที่ต้องเริ่มด้วยการระบุว่า กรอบทดสอบใดที่เหมาะสมกับภาษาที่ก าลังศึกษาอยู่ นักวิจัยจ านวนมากได้พัฒนากรอบทดสอบภาษา พูดจนประสบส าเร็จ อย่างไรก็ตาม มีการทดสอบดังกล่าวกับภาษามือเพียงครั้งเดียวเท่านั้น การศึกษาครั้งนี้เริ่มด้วยการกล่าวถึงความไม่เท่าเทียมกันนี้ โดยระบุถึงรูปแบบสถานการณ์ภายใต้การ ใช้ภาษามือไทย (ThSL) อย่างเป็นระบบโดยการใช้กรอบทดสอบ กรอบทดสอบเหล่านี้ได้ถูกน ามาใช้ เป็นครั้งแรกกับ 30 ประโยคในภาคกริยาและอนุประโยคของภาษามือไทย โดยผ่านการทดสอบหลาย ครั้งกับกลุ่มคนไทยหูหนวก นอกจากนี้ ได้มีการทดสอบเพิ่มเติมกับอีก 2 กลุ่มโดยใช้ประโยคภาคกริยา 12 ประโยค ผลปรากฏว่าภาษามือไทยบ่งบอกถึงลักษณะทางไวยากรณ์อย่างน้อย 6 รูปแบบ สถานการณ์ ได้แก่ individual-level states, stage-level states, activities, accomplishments, achievements, และ semelfactives การศึกษาครั้งนี้ยังแสดงให้เห็นว่า การบ่งชี้ของหน่วยค าที่เคยมีการน าเสนอเกี่ยวกับหน้าที่และ ระยะเวลา (the Event Visibility Hypothesis) ในภาษามือไม่สามารถใช้ได้กับข้อมูลที่พบในภาษา มือไทย และยังแสดงให้เห็นว่าฐานหน่วยค าเหล่านี้ไม่มั่นคง ผลของการศึกษากลับบ่งชี้ว่าลักษณะทาง เสียงของประโยคภาคกริยาสะท้อนให้เห็นถึงคุณลักษณะย่อยของเหตุการณ์หลายอย่างที่น าเสนอ โดยเฉพาะอย่างยิ่งในเหตุการณ์ที่มีความต่อเนื่อง เนื่องจากประกอบไปด้วยการแสดงหลายขั้น iv ยกตัวอย่างเช่น เดิน สามารถแบ่งเป็นขั้นตอนย่อย โดยแต่ละขั้นตอนแสดงถึงแต่ละระดับ การ เคลื่อนไหวของภาษามือไทยที่แสดงถึงการเดินสะท้อนให้เห็นถึงระดับขั้นเหล่านี้ ซึ่งตรงกันข้ามกับ เหตุการณ์ที่มีการเปลี่ยนแปลงทีละน้อย โดยจะแสดงระดับขั้นเป็นวงจรอย่างชัดเจน ยกตัวเล่น ละลาย ประกอบไปด้วยการเปลี่ยนถ่ายจากของแข็งเป็นของเหลว การเปลี่ยนแปลงนี้สะท้อนให้เป็น ผ่านการเคลื่อนไหวที่ค่อย ๆ เปลี่ยนแปลงครั้งเดียวของภาษามือไทยในค าว่า ละลาย ความเชื่อมโยง ระหว่างลักษณะภาคกริยาและโครงสร้างภายในนี้สนับสนุนการวิเคราะห์รูปสัญญะของ Kuhn (2017) เกี่ยวกับการเคลื่อนไหวเพื่อแสดงคุณลักษณะทางเสียงมากกว่า EVH v TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................... i Abstract ..........................................................................................................................ii บทคัดย่อ .......................................................................................................................... iv List of Tables ................................................................................................................ ix List of Figures ................................................................................................................ x List of Abbreviations and Symbols............................................................................... xi Glossary .......................................................................................................................xii Chapter 1 Introduction ................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Overview .............................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Research questions, reasons for the study and limitations ................................... 1 1.3 Situation types ...................................................................................................... 2 1.3.1 Temporal features and basic situation types ................................................. 2 1.3.2 Viewpoint aspect and telic situations ............................................................ 8 1.4 Thai Sign Language ............................................................................................. 9 1.4.1 Previous studies in ThSL .............................................................................. 9 1.4.2 The visual-gestural modality ....................................................................... 10 1.4.3 Grammatical features and transcription conventions .................................. 12 1.5 Situation types and sign languages .................................................................... 17 1.6 Outline of the study ...........................................................................................
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