본문 바로가기
  • Home

Syntactic Function of the Sign Space in Korean Sign Language

  • Journal of Special Education: Theory and Practice
  • Abbr : JSPED
  • 2007, 8(3), pp.45-68
  • Publisher : Research Institute of the Korea Special Education
  • Research Area : Social Science > Education

남기현 1

1고려대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

This study aims at investigating syntactic function of sign space in Korean Sign Language (KSL). In sign language with features of the visual-gestural, sign space is not only physical space where an individual sign is produced but also linguistic space where noun arrangement, pronominal reference, verb agreement, etc. are actualized (Bellugi, 1990). In other words, sign space is syntactic space, providing linguistic information; however, no study on spatial function in KSL has yet been carried out. Therefore, this study demonstrates the syntactic function of space and its individual realizations, focusing on person, coreference, referential shift, subject-object-verb agreement, and comparison. As a method, analysis of conversation of deaf adults, living in Seoul, whose first language is sign language, has been carried out in that referential expression as the main spatial function appears in natural conversational situations. The results indicate that KSL has specific linguistic features as well as a universal character of sign language.

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.