浅谈手语基本语序研究方法

A Brief Note on the Methodological Issues in Investigating Sign Language Basic Constituent Orders

本文探讨手语基本语序的研究方法。在有声语言文献中,找出基本语序有三个办法:1) 找出语用上最少语境或篇章预设的句子作为基本语序;2) 假定基本语序为没有复杂动词和名词结构的简单主动直述句;3) 同时有显性主语和宾语的及物动词短句最常见的语序,以此定为基本语序,本文指出第三种方法最适用于手语。手语为视觉空间的语言,有不少动词形态、空间使用及角色转换等均会影响表面语序,过往也有研究指出主语宾语指称对象语意上能否对调会影响语序,研究人员在设计图画进行诱导实验或分析自由对话数据的时候必须考虑这些因素。

This paper discusses several methodological issues in studying basic constituent order in sign languages. In spoken language literature, there are three possible strategies in finding out the basic constituent order of a language: 1) assuming that the basic order is represented by the simple declarative clauses with no complex verbs or noun phrases;2) assuming that the basic order is the least pragmatically marked order which presupposes the least discourse information;and 3) assuming that the basic order is statistically the most frequent order in transitive clauses with an overt subject, an overt object and a verb. We point out that the third method is most suitable for sign language research. Sign languages are visual-spatial languages. Surface word order may be affected by verbal morphology, use of space and role shifts. Previous studies also suggest that the semantic reversibility of the subject and object referents may also be a possible factor. Sign language researchers need to take all these factors into consideration when designing picture elicitation tasks and analyzing free conversation data.