CASLI ASL Linguistics 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The distinction between ASL 'GIVE' directed toward the signer versus away from the signer demonstrates which morphological feature?
- Aspect marking
- Directional (agreement) verb inflection (Correct answer)
- Classifier use
- Temporal inflection
Correct answer: Directional (agreement) verb inflection
Directional verbs in ASL move between subject and object loci in signing space, incorporating both subject and object agreement simultaneously.
Question 2: Which non-manual signal in ASL marks a yes/no question?
- Furrowed brows and forward head tilt
- Raised brows, widened eyes, and forward head tilt (Correct answer)
- Squinted eyes and head shake
- Puffed cheeks and backward lean
Correct answer: Raised brows, widened eyes, and forward head tilt
Yes/no questions in ASL are marked by raised eyebrows, widened eyes, and a forward head tilt held through the question.
Question 3: In ASL phonology, a 'minimal pair' differs in exactly:
- At least two parameters
- One parameter only (Correct answer)
- Three or more parameters
- Only in non-manual features
Correct answer: One parameter only
A minimal pair in ASL consists of two signs that differ in exactly one phonological parameter, proving that parameter is contrastive.
Question 4: The handshape used in the ASL number system from 1–5 and their role in classifier predicates best illustrates:
- Homonymy between unrelated signs
- Iconicity and simultaneous morphological layering (Correct answer)
- Arbitrary phonological forms
- Sequential affixation rules
Correct answer: Iconicity and simultaneous morphological layering
Number handshapes double as classifiers representing thin objects or people, illustrating how iconic and morphological functions can co-exist in the same handshape.
Question 5: What is the term for the process by which two ASL signs blend into a single form, as in DEAF + CULTURE becoming a single fluid sign?
- Blending
- Compounding (Correct answer)
- Borrowing
- Reduplication
Correct answer: Compounding
Compounding in ASL combines two or more signs into a single lexical item, often with phonological reductions such as loss of repeated movement.
Question 6: Spatial grammar in ASL differs from English primarily because ASL:
- Uses only temporal ordering to indicate relationships
- Uses three-dimensional signing space to encode syntactic and semantic relationships (Correct answer)
- Relies on a fixed SOV word order
- Lacks pronoun reference systems
Correct answer: Uses three-dimensional signing space to encode syntactic and semantic relationships
ASL uses the three-dimensional signing space to establish referents, show agreement, and encode spatial and grammatical relationships simultaneously.
Question 7: Which aspect of ASL grammar is conveyed by prolonging and repeating the movement of a verb?
- Negation
- Aspectual inflection (e.g., continuative aspect) (Correct answer)
- Subject agreement
- Temporal sequence
Correct answer: Aspectual inflection (e.g., continuative aspect)
Repeating and elongating a verb's movement in ASL marks continuative aspect, indicating an action is ongoing or habitual.
CASLI ASL Linguistics 3
The distinction between ASL 'GIVE' directed toward the signer versus away from the signer demonstrates which morphological feature?