Motion Capture Analysis of Verb and Adjective Types in Austrian Sign Language

TL;DR

This study uses motion capture to analyze how Austrian Sign Language encodes semantic and grammatical features through hand movement, revealing distinct kinematic patterns for verb types and adjective intensification.

Contribution

It provides a quantitative analysis of sign language motion, distinguishing semantic and grammatical features via kinematic parameters in Austrian Sign Language.

Findings

Telic verbs have higher peak velocity and shorter duration than atelic verbs.

Intensified adjectives show longer duration than non-intensified ones.

Individual signing styles influence motion patterns.

Abstract

Across a number of sign languages, temporal and spatial characteristics of dominant hand articulation are used to express semantic and grammatical features. In this study of Austrian Sign Language (\"Osterreichische Geb\"ardensprache, or \"OGS), motion capture data of four Deaf signers is used to quantitatively characterize the kinematic parameters of sign production in verbs and adjectives. We investigate (1) the difference in production between verbs involving a natural endpoint (telic verbs; e.g. arrive) and verbs lacking an endpoint (atelic verbs; e.g. analyze), and (2) adjective signs in intensified vs. non-intensified (plain) forms. Motion capture data analysis using linear-mixed effects models (LME) indicates that both the endpoint marking in verbs, as well as marking of intensification in adjectives, are expressed by movement modulation in \"OGS. While the semantic distinction between verb types (telic/atelic) is marked by higher peak velocity and shorter duration for telic signs compared to atelic ones, the grammatical distinction (intensification) in adjectives is expressed by longer duration for intensified compared to non-intensified adjectives. The observed individual differences of signers might be interpreted as personal signing style.