Abstract of Project Funded for FY 2000
| Malaysia Sign Language Classifiers
Koon Wei Ho, Linguistics and Interpretation Which one is a true language, Malaysia Sign Language (MSL) or Manually Code Malaysia Language (BMKT), is debated in Malaysia. Allen's research shows generally spoken/written languages have at least one of four types of classifiers. Liddell and Johnson's research shows ASL has three types of classifiers predicates. Does MSL have classifiers? I am interested in studying MSL classifiers as nobody study MSL. I will ask one contact person in Malaysia to collect data, at least four West Malaysia and at least four East Malaysia. They are secondary school graduates over 30 years old. They will study three pictures based on human beings', animals', and things' motions and tell story each while videotaping happens. I will analyze data, study signs and do notations. I will categorize signs into classifiers and non-classifiers. I will study classifiers to identify what kind of handshapes represent for, what kinds of movements represent for, what kinds of orientation represent for, and so on. I will compare classifiers from both lands to see if there is any difference. It may show if there are dialects and if MSL is a true language. Hope this research will help us to understand better about Deaf Malaysians' sign language. |