How linear movements shape quantification in Chinese Sign Language (CSL)
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This paper explores a type of quantification special to sign languages: verbal quantifica-tion. We discuss four types of movement morphemes in Chinese Sign Language (CSL):R E P,S LM,D L M1, andD L M2. We identify their distinct phonological features, which formthe foundation of semantic expression. WhileD L M2 can serve as an existential quantifi-cation marker,S L MandD L M2 are universal quantifiers; the former expresses collectivity,while the latter emphasizes individuality. However, these morphemes only affix to non-body-anchored verbs, which is a phonological restriction on the morphemes. We testtheir quantificational values not only on agreement verbs but also on non-agreementverbs, yielding some interesting findings; for instance, we can alterS LMto quantify overtemporal entities. Moreover, the combination of these movement morphemes is oftenaccompanied by more visible mechanisms such as repetitions of a human classifier orS Macross fingers of the non-dominant hand. Quantification in CSL provides further evi-dence for how highly abstract aspects of the grammar interact with spatial reasoning viaiconicity. We argue that it might be common across sign languages as they share basictopographical reasoning.