Chapter 8
Lexicon

Assignment 3

Give three signs from the frozen lexicon and three signs from the productive lexicon of any sign language. Explain why they are frozen or productive.

Example answer using SASL:

The following signs can be considered frozen: woman (see pictures in ass. 2), car, donkey.

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These signs can be considered frozen as they have a fixed lexical form that cannot usually be modified to add specific meaning components (with the possible exception of creative language use, as in poetry).

The sign drive(normally/relaxed/nervously) can be seen as productive.

While drive does have a lexical citation form, it can be modified (manually and/or non-manually) to add meaning components (e.g., manner of driving).

A comparison of the two SASL verbs sit can be useful.

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The first sign is not variable and would thus be in the frozen lexicon.

The second sign combines a classifier for human (two legs) and a weak hand as location. The weak hand can be varied: e.g., one finger (branch/railing), flat hand (bed/table). So this sign fits best in the productive lexicon.