classifiers and hulk

Friday Assignment:

You must watch this video, select a part you wish to sign, and sign it in class for 1 minute. Be sure to incorporate at least 5 classifiers. Try to copy the video the best you can. Do this to the best of your abilities. Practice this several times before class on Friday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZjAVRjxMHU

What are Classifiers?

Classifiers are handshapes that are used to represent general categories or "classes" of things. Another definition is: "A set of handshapes that represent classes of things that share similar characteristics."

• They can be used to describe the size and shape of an object (or person).

• They can be used to represent the object itself, or the way the object moves or relates to other objects (or people).



Some of the more popular classifiers:
CL:1 Things that are (relatively) long and skinny. A pencil, a stick, a person.
CL:A an object in a certain location. A house, a lamp.
CL:3- vehicles, [motorcycle, park a car, row of cars, accident, garage]
CL:4-[CURTAIN]
CL:5-[scads of]
CL:B- flat things[roof, flat, wall]
CL:C-[thick things, round pole-like things]
CL:C-(index and thumb) pepperoni, cookies, campaign buttons
CL:F
CL:G- thin things (or degree of thinness)
CL:L(bent)-[large, big-headed/egoistic/conceited, check, card, square]
CL:L-[check, card, square]
CL:V- legs, a person walking-(upside-down V), two people walking, [stand, walk-to, lay down, toss-and-turn, dive, jump, skate board, scooter, get up]
CL:V (bent fingers) = a small animal, or a larger animal sitting.
CL:Y Very wide things. A fat person walking. A hippopotamus's mouth.
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Below are some examples of "types" of classifiers. I don't expect you to get a handle on these just because I list them. This list is from a study guide I hand out to my students while giving a two-hour seminar during semesters or times when I'm teaching from the Vista, Signing Naturally curriculum (Lentz, Mikos, & Smith, 1988) but I thought you would enjoy seeing a sample the diversity of classifiers out there (there are thousands more than I'm indicating here). Note: I've modified the list a bit and added some of my own information.

• Descriptive Classifiers (DCL), are also known as size and shape specifiers, (SASSes). They describe a person or object.

DCL:B (or bent B) "extremely tall" [Explanation: to represent the descriptive classifier "extremely tall" you hold the "bent 'B' hand" high in the air while using an appropriate facial expression."]
DCL:B (or bent B) "short"
DCL:4 "long hair"
DCL:1 "bulletin board"
DCL:1 "black board"
DCL:4 (claw) "freckles"
DCL:4 "striped"
DCL:G "thin"
DCL:4 (claw) "curley hair"

• Semantic Classifiers, represent categories of nouns. For example, people or vehicles.

SCL:1 (person) "walking fast"
SCL:1 (person) "person walks to...____"
SCL:3 (car) "drives to____"
SCL:Y (fat person) "waddling"
SCL:flattened-O (fast-car) "cruising"
SCL:bent-V (row of chairs)

• Locative Classifiers, show placement or spatial information about an object. Sometimes indicate movement.

LCL:C/LCL:B "place cup on napkin"
LCL:5 "leaf floating to the ground"
LCL:1 (sticks) "one here-one here"
LCL:B "shelf" (over to the right)
LCL:1 "goal-posts"
(2h)LCL:L "adjust a picture"

• Plural classifiers
Indicating a specific number or a non-specific number.
PCL:2 "two people walking"
PCL:4 "long line of people"
PCL:4 "people moving in line"
PCL: 5 "hordes of _____." Often called "scads of."
PCL:V "people seated in a circle"

• Instrument Classifiers, you use your hands (or an other part of your body) to manipulate an "object."

ICL "driving"
ICL "hammer in a nail"
ICL "play checkers"
ICL "play chess"
ICL "light match"
ICL (broom) ICL "sweep"
ICL (water) ICL"pour in"
ICL (garbage) ICL "dump out"
ICL (wash-clothes) ICL "hang up"

• Body Classifiers/Mime
You use your body to "act out" or "role play." Sometimes this is like "mime." Other times you just show the action (or interaction) that is going on. Often this involves "role shifting."

"yawn"
"acting tough"
"give hug to child"
"running hard/pumping arms"
"wave to crowd"
"listen for strange noise"

• Bodypart classifiers
A specific part of your body is doing an action.

(2h)BPCL:F "look at"
BPCL "kick back" (relax)
BPCL "cross legs"
BPCL ""tap foot"
BPCL "use gesture looking up"
BPCL:flat-C "big grin"
BPCL:L "red face" shy
BPCL:B "mouth frowning"

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Student: I don't get what it means in the outline where it says: SCL:1 (person) "walking fast"

DrVicars: Oh okay then... let me clarify that.

The SCL simply identifies the general category.
The ":" means what a normal colon means.
The "1" represents making a "one" handshape with you index finger.
The ( ) tells you what it is representing--you have to pre-identify this in your sentence or conversation.
The manner or how it was done is in the "quotes"
So if I wanted to show "Bob" walking fast, I would fingerspell his name, then hold up that finger and move it quickly across my signing space. That would be a classifier indicating how he is moving.
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In a message dated 4/2/2006 12:52:00 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, John L. writes:
I have a question for you, can you give me a definition for "Classifier Predicates"?
John,
Classifier Predicates:
A classifier (in ASL) is a sign that represents a general category of things, shapes, or sizes.
A predicate is the part of a sentence that modifies (says something about or describes) the topic of the sentence or some other noun or noun phrase in the sentence. (Valli & Lucas, 2000)
Example: JOHN HANDSOME
The topic is “John” the predicate is an “adjective predicate” describing John’s appearance.
Example: JOHN RUN
The topic is “John” the predicate is a “verb predicate” stating what John did or is doing.
Example: JOHN BED
The topic is “John” the predicate is a “noun predicate” stating John’s location.
Example: JOHN CL:FF “eyes quickly looked at right”
The topic is “John” the predicate is a “classifier predicate” indicating that John quickly looked to his right.
Whenever you use a classifier to describe the shape, size, movement, or location of a noun, you are using a “classifier predicate.”
Bill
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Classifier: 1 or index finger CL:1
Classifier: 3 CL:3
Classifier: 5
Classifier: A
Classifier: B and Classifier; BB
Classifier: F
Classifier: H,R, and 4
Classifier: Inverted V and bent inverted V
Classifier: Quantifiers
Classifiers: Size, Location, Movement
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Submitted by a reader:

Element classifiers: Describe things that do not have specific shapes or sizes, and are usually in constant motion.
ECL:4 "a running faucet"
ECL:5wg "a candle flame"
ECL:1 (zig zag) "a flash of lightning"
ECL:flat O----->spread C "twinkling lights"

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References:
Lentz, E. M., Mikos, K., Smith, C., & Dawn Sign Press. (1988). Signing naturally teacher's curriculum guide. San Diego, CA: DawnSign Press.
Valli, C. & Lucas, C. (2000). Linguistics of American Sign Language. (3rd ed.). Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press.