CLASSIFIERS

ASL has a fairly large set of signs that are called classifiers.  Linguists have found that there are two major types of classifiers:

I) Classifiers in which a particular handshape (with a specific palm orientation) is used to represent a NOUN and can indicate the location of that noun and its actions. These are called pronominal classifiers.

2) Classifiers that illustrate certain physical features of a noun as well as indicate its location in space. These are called  size and shape specifiers or "SASSes".

I.  PRONOMINAL CLASSIFIERS 

Some classifiers are like pronouns in that they represent a particular group of nouns.  For example, the ASL classifier that is glossed/written as CL:3 can represent a car, bus, van, boat or submarine, but not a person, animal or plant.  These signs are called classifiers because they stand or represent a particular group or "class" of nouns.

Like pronouns, these classifier generally cannot be used in a sentence until the signer FIRST indicates what the classifier is representing.  This is usually done by signing or fingerspelling the noun and then using the classifier that represents that noun.

Pronominal Classsifers :  Listed below are a few of the classifier handshapes in this group.  Remember that this classifier group can represent a noun as well convey its location and/or verb action.

CL:1   (person, tree, post, pencil)
CL:3   (bus, truck, car, van, ferry, motorcycle, bicycle, etc.)
CL:B  (table, book, paper, book shelves, etc.)
CL:C  (cup, bottle)   
CL:V  (person seated)
CL:2   (2 people)

Sign the following sentences.  Be sure to identify all topics (nouns) first before demonstrating location and verb action.
 

1.    MAN, BOY, TREE (CL:1)
        a.  The man came up to me.
        b.  The boy bumped into the tree.

2.    WOMAN (CL:1)
        The woman hurried away to the right.

3.    CAR  (CL:3)   HILL (CL:B)
        a. The car drove up the steep hill.
        b. The bus hit the telephone pole      

4.    MAN, WOMAN (CL:1)
        The man and woman walked past each other.

5.    PENCIL (CL:1)    PAPER (CL:B)
       a.  The gold pencil laid on top of the brown paper.
       b.  Five books were stacked up.
       c.  Two brown tables were side-by-side.

6.    GIRL (CL:1)  TWO-PEOPLE (CL:2)
        a.  The girl came up to me and we walked away together.
        b.  The 2 ASL students approached me from the left.  

7.    CUP (CL:C)   TABLE (CL:B)
        The white cup sat at the right corner of the tan table.

8.    STUDENTS, WOMEN, CLASS (CL:V)
        a.  Two students sat side-by-side.
        b.  Four women sat in a row.
        c.  The English class sat in a semi-circle.
      
      

coming next: Perimeter Classifiers
                        :Size and Shape Specifiers/Descriptive Classifiers