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From:
Cheryl Zapien Date: Tue Feb 23, 1999 4:47 pm Subject: Re: topics | |
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You mean like two little single quotes--the idea makes sense to me. Cheryl William MacGruder wrote: > In a message dated 2/22/99 8:26:56 PM Pacific Standard Time, > writes: > > << Subject: topics > > To clarify (?) Valerie's point below... > > It is my understanding that the topic marker is not used in all sentences > in ASL, only in those which use the grammatical process known as > "topicalization" this is a fancy word for putting the topic at the > beginning of the sentence; ordinarily it would come after the verb, as in > [the cat eats grass] We can sign it like that, word for word, in ASL, but > more often than not we topicalize it--move the grass to the front-- so it > comes out [grass eats the cat.] That's no good in English, and it's also > no good in ASL unless you include a topicalization marker, which is raised > eyebrows. The raised eyebrows signals why the grass is in front of the > cat--it's the topic. So if the object/topic is put first, the sentence > starts with raised eyebrows, and if the topic is last (after the verb), > then it doesn't have raised eyebrows. > >> > > After reading the above, the following just popped into mind: > > Perhaps the best thing then would be to write the Signs and then next to the > Sign which is the Topic of the sentence or phrase, just write or draw two tiny > eyebrows. > > I know it's corny, but it could work. > > Cheers! > -William J. "Chip" McGruder > Monterey, California |
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