CASLI ASL Linguistics 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In ASL, a 'buoy' is best described as:
- A type of classifier for water-related objects
- A held, backgrounded sign that maintains topic prominence while the other hand signs (Correct answer)
- A morpheme used exclusively for negation
- An initialized sign using the B handshape
Correct answer: A held, backgrounded sign that maintains topic prominence while the other hand signs
Buoys are signs held passively in space by one hand while the dominant hand signs, functioning as discourse-level anchors to maintain reference or frame information.
Question 2: What does the linguistic term 'iconicity' mean in the context of ASL?
- Signs are completely arbitrary with no resemblance to their referents
- The form of a sign resembles or is motivated by the thing it represents (Correct answer)
- Signs must be initialized with English letter handshapes
- Signs are borrowed from gestural systems with no linguistic structure
Correct answer: The form of a sign resembles or is motivated by the thing it represents
Iconicity in ASL refers to a motivated relationship between a sign's form and its meaning, such as TREE visually resembling a tree's shape.
Question 3: The ASL grammatical marker known as 'POSS' (possessive) is produced by:
- Adding an S-handshape suffix to any noun
- Directing an open-B palm toward the referent or possessor's locus (Correct answer)
- Mouthing the English word 'his' or 'her'
- Using a specific classifier handshape
Correct answer: Directing an open-B palm toward the referent or possessor's locus
Possessives in ASL are marked by directing an open-B (flat hand) palm toward the locus associated with the possessor in signing space.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes 'initialized signs' in ASL?
- Signs that represent the beginning of a sentence
- Signs that use the fingerspelled letter of the corresponding English word as the handshape (Correct answer)
- Signs produced at the start of a conversation
- Signs borrowed from Signed Exact English only
Correct answer: Signs that use the fingerspelled letter of the corresponding English word as the handshape
Initialized signs substitute the first letter of the English word's handshape into an existing sign, such as using a W-handshape for WATER instead of the traditional form.
Question 5: Role shift in ASL is primarily used to:
- Shift the topic from old to new information
- Indicate that the signer is taking on the perspective of a character or referent in a narrative (Correct answer)
- Mark a change in verb tense
- Signal the end of a clause
Correct answer: Indicate that the signer is taking on the perspective of a character or referent in a narrative
Role shift involves the signer shifting body position, eye gaze, and facial expression to embody a character's perspective, creating direct discourse in ASL narratives.
Question 6: The distinction between lexical and productive vocabulary in ASL is that productive signs:
- Are fixed forms found in a dictionary
- Are constructed in the moment using classifier predicates and spatial grammar to depict new referents (Correct answer)
- Are always initialized with English letters
- Can only be used in formal registers
Correct answer: Are constructed in the moment using classifier predicates and spatial grammar to depict new referents
Productive vocabulary in ASL is created on-the-fly using classifier handshapes and spatial modifications to depict size, shape, movement, and location of any referent.
Question 7: What is 'code-switching' in the context of Deaf bilingual communities?
- Switching between one manual code and another within a single sign
- Alternating between ASL and another language (e.g., English) depending on context or interlocutor (Correct answer)
- Changing fingerspelling to initialized signs mid-sentence
- Using different classifiers for the same referent
Correct answer: Alternating between ASL and another language (e.g., English) depending on context or interlocutor
Code-switching occurs when a bilingual signer moves between ASL and English (or another language) in response to social context, audience, or topic.
CASLI ASL Linguistics 4
In ASL, a 'buoy' is best described as: