CASLI ASL Linguistics 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which parameter of ASL signs refers to the orientation of the palm during sign production?
- Location
- Palm orientation (Correct answer)
- Handshape
- Movement
Correct answer: Palm orientation
Palm orientation is the fourth parameter distinguishing ASL signs, describing which direction the palm faces during articulation.
Question 2: In ASL, the concept of 'classifier predicates' primarily functions to:
- Indicate tense and aspect
- Represent entities and describe their movement or location (Correct answer)
- Mark question types
- Show subject-verb agreement
Correct answer: Represent entities and describe their movement or location
Classifier predicates use specific handshapes to represent categories of objects and describe how they move or are spatially located.
Question 3: What term describes the simultaneous layering of morphemes in ASL, such as modifying a verb's movement while also changing its location?
- Sequential morphology
- Simultaneous morphology (Correct answer)
- Agglutination
- Inflectional suffixation
Correct answer: Simultaneous morphology
Simultaneous morphology in ASL allows multiple meaning components to be expressed at the same time within a single sign rather than sequentially.
Question 4: The ASL sign for 'TRAIN' is created by rubbing two U-handshapes together. This is an example of which phonological process?
- Deletion
- Assimilation (Correct answer)
- Epenthesis
- Metathesis
Correct answer: Assimilation
Assimilation occurs when a sign's parameters are influenced by neighboring signs; however, TRAIN's repeated rubbing movement is better described as a compound structure, though repetition can signal assimilation-like reduplication.
Question 5: Which type of ASL sentence structure places the topic first and then comments on it?
- SVO order
- Topic-Comment structure (Correct answer)
- Predicate-Subject inversion
- OSV order
Correct answer: Topic-Comment structure
Topic-Comment structure is a dominant feature of ASL syntax where the topic is established first and the comment follows, often marked by non-manual signals.
Question 6: Prosody in ASL is conveyed primarily through:
- Vocal pitch and stress
- Pausing, movement holds, and non-manual signals (Correct answer)
- Written punctuation equivalents
- Sign order alone
Correct answer: Pausing, movement holds, and non-manual signals
ASL prosody relies on holds (cessation of movement), transitions between signs, and non-manual signals like head movements and eye gaze to chunk and emphasize meaning.
Question 7: What is 'mouth morpheme' in ASL linguistics?
- Lip-reading cues borrowed from English
- Non-manual mouth movements that carry grammatical or adverbial meaning (Correct answer)
- Mouth movements used only in initialized signs
- Mouthing of English words during signed sentences
Correct answer: Non-manual mouth movements that carry grammatical or adverbial meaning
Mouth morphemes are specific mouth configurations integral to ASL grammar that convey adverbial meanings (e.g., 'puffed cheeks' for large size), distinct from mouthing English words.
CASLI ASL Linguistics 2
Which parameter of ASL signs refers to the orientation of the palm during sign production?