A Grammar of Turkish Sign Language (TİD)

Prosodic word refers to a prosodic unit where the minimum and maximum size of a phonologically free standing simple or complex word can be defined. It can consist of a bare word that is phonologically free or it can include suffixes or clitics attached to a base. Furthermore, a compound can form a single prosodic word where, phonologically, the parts of a compound fit into a single prosodic word without a pause in between.

 

Prosodic word is the prosodic domain which is higher than Foot and lower than the Phonological Phrase. A prosodic word can consist of a monosyllabic sign. Also, a monosyllabic sign can be reduplicated which can still be a prosodic word when non-manual markers on the lower face, which work as domain markers [Phonology - 2], spread over the root of the sign and the reduplications on this root.

 

An example is provided below. The signs STAND_FACING_EACH_OTHER (first still photo below) and ONE (fourth still photo below) precede and follow SWING_DANCE which is repeated twice (middle still photos below). This reduplicated sign forms a single Prosodic Word. The preceding and the following signs each forms a Prosodic Word, as well. The domain of the Prosodic Word is marked by the change of the position of the mouth gesture [Phonology - 1.5.1.] and the head. The mouth becomes more open from the end of the preceding Prosodic Word and it is kept in that position until the next Prosodic Word starts. Also the head position changes from a head tilt for the first Prosodic Word to a neutral head position during the reduplicated Prosodic Word in the middle to a head turn in the last Prosodic Word.

 

  

                           ht                                                                                                                             h-trn

                         mo                                                                    mo +                                                   mc

STAND_FACING_EA                                                        SWING_DANCE++                                               ONE

(Prosodic Word)                                             (Prosodic Word)                                         (Prosodic Word)

'Two upright entities dance.'

 

A Prosodic Word can also include more than one sign. For instance, functional words tend to be phonologically weak and often cliticize to lexical hosts. So, a weak pointing sign can cliticize to a lexical host. In such a case, the prosodic word includes more than one sign. Cliticization and spreading of mouthing over both signs indicate a single Prosodic Word. In the example below, the pointing sign is articulated starting in the middle of the movement of the sign LIKE. So, it is cliticized to this sign, and as such it ends the Prosodic Word by being present until the end of the movement. A single mouthing [Phonology - 1.5.2] which is mimicking the oral articulatory gestures of the corresponding Turkish word beğendim 'I like (it)'  /be:ndim/ spans over the entire Prosodic Word. So mouthing works as a domain marker [Phonology - 2] here.

 

                                                                                                                                                                /be:ndim/

LIKE                                                                                                              IX_3i

(Prosodic Word)

'(I) liked it.'

 

The negative marker not [Morphology - 3.5] also forms a single Prosodic Word with the predicate it attaches to. Being in the same Prosodic Word, the negative marker is articulated in the same location with the lexical sign it attaches to as we show below. Also there is continuity between the lexical sign and the negative marker with respect to non-manual markers. The backward-head-tilt tends to spread regressively from negation to the predicate. In this use, the backward head tilt functions as a domain marker [Phonology - 2]. It is present in the entire domain of the Prosodic Word.

 

 

                 ht-b

            HEAR_OF^NOT

            (Prosodic Word)

            'I didn't hear of it.'

 

Coalescence is the reduction of two phonetic units into a single one. An example is provided by the cliticization of negation below, where the dominant hand of the symmetrical [Phonology - 1.4.1.] two handed-sign START becomes the host of negation. In its citation form, the sign START is realized as a symmetrical two-handed sign as we show below.

 

            

START

 

As a symmetrical two-handed sign, START satisfies the phonological requirement for coalescence to appear. The example below shows how coalescence is realized. At the beginning of the cliticized form, START^NOT, the sign START is produced by the two hands in the same configuration (as in the citation form). During the downward movement between the two locations of START, the dominant hand changes its shape producing the handshape of negation, thus realizing the fused form START^NOT in a single Prosodic Word. Also, backward head tilt spreads regressively from negation to the host start marking the domain [Phonology - 2] of the Prosodic Word. There is also no mouth gesture [Phonology - 1.5.1.] change between the host and the negative marker. Thus, three elements are marking the domain of the prosodic word: non-dominant hand, stability in mouth gesture, and backward head tilt.

 

 

 

Coalescence of the verb START and Negation

 

            ht-b

START^NOT

            (Prosodic Word)