A Study Of The Directionality Of Verbs And Classifier Structures In Shanghai Sign Language

Directional verbs in Shanghai Sign Language can be classified into three kinds: spatial directional verbs, "give/take" directional verbs and "agent/recipient" directional verbs. A spatial directional verb has meanings of spatial directions, a "give/take" directional verb has meanings of "give/take" directions, and an "agent/recipient" directional verb has meanings of "agent/ recipient" directions. And such meanings of directions are indicated in the word form or variety of word form. Spatial directional verbs can be divided into unidirectional verbs and multi-directional verbs. "Give /take" directional verbs consist of three types: "give/take", "get/lose" and "get/give". "Agent/recipient" directional verbs contain four types: some of the extension of spatial directional verbs, some of the extension of "give/take" directional verbs, some of the verbs to form pivot structures, and some of the verbs expressing the pure relation of "agent/recipient". The first two types of "agent/recipient" directional verbs are associated with spatial directional verbs and "give/take" directional verbs, sometimes even mixed with them.Many classifier structures in Shanghai Sign Language have meanings of directions and locations, and most of them belong to the use of directional verbs. They can be grouped into directional classifier structures and classifier structures of directions and locations. The first kind is formed by directional verbs, including adverbial-head structures formed by spatial directional verbs, expressing the location or space of the action, and verb-object structures formed by "agent/recipient" directional verbs. The second kind expresses directions and locations, including static and dynamic structures, and each of such structures consists of two classifiers. Static structures express static relations of directions and locations between two classifiers, while dynamic structures express dynamic relations of directions and locations between two classifiers. Both static and moving classifiers themselves may have directions. There is an overlap between directional classifier structures and classifier structures of directions and locations.