LOOKing for Multi-word Expressions in American Sign Language

Usage-based linguistics postulates that multi-word expressions constitute a substantial part of language structure and use, and are formed through repeated chunking and stored as exemplar wholes. They are also re-used to produce new sequences by means of schematization. While there is extensive research on multi-word expressions in many spoken languages, little is known about the status of multi-word expressions in the mainstream U.S. variety of American Sign Language (ASL). This paper investigates recurring multi-word expressions, or sequences of multiple signs, that involve a high-frequency sign of visual perception glossed as LOOK and the family of ‘look’ signs. The LOOK sign exhibits two broad functions: LOOK/‘vision’ references literal or metaphorical vision and LOOK/‘reaction’ signals a person’s reaction to a visual stimulus. Data analysis reveals that there are recurring sequences in distinct syntactic environments associated with the two functions of LOOK, suggesting that LOOK i...基于用法的语言学（Usage-based Linguistics）提出，多词表达式（multi-word expressions）是语言结构与语言使用的重要组成部分，其通过反复组块加工形成并以范例整体的形式存储于语言系统中；同时人们可通过图式化复用这些表达式，生成新的语言序列。当前学界针对多种口语语言中的多词表达式已开展了大量研究，但对于美国主流变体美国手语（American Sign Language, ASL）中的多词表达式的地位却知之甚少。本文旨在探讨重复性多词表达式，即由多个手语符号构成的序列，这些序列均涉及被标注为LOOK的高频视觉感知类手语符号以及‘look’类手语符号家族。LOOK符号具有两大核心功能：其一为LOOK/“视觉”义，指代字面或隐喻层面的视觉行为；其二为LOOK/“反应”义，用于表达个体对视觉刺激的反应。数据分析显示，在与LOOK符号两大功能相关的不同句法环境中均存在重复性序列，这表明LOOK i...