SENTENCE ARTICULATION IN BRAZILIAN SIGN LANGUAGE – LIBRAS

Authors

  • Bruno Gonçalves Carneiro Universidade Federal do Tocantins
  • Carlos Roberto Ludwig Universidade Federal do Tocantins

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20873/uftv7-5758

Abstract

Articulation of sentences is a grammatical strategy found in any natural language. This phenomenon generates complex constructions which appear in a gradient continuum (parataxis – hypotaxis – enchainment), based on the integration of syntactical, semantical, and pragmatical levels of the language in use. The current research is based on the functionalist perspective of language. The objective of this paper is to describe the process of articulation of sentences in Brazilian Sign Language (Libras). Thereto, we aim at identifying strategies of articulating sentences in Brazilian sign language, taking into account possible complex articulations. We analyze videos taken from conversations via social networks, produced in bidirectional and a-synchronic interaction by three signing deaf of Brazilian sign language. The videos were analyzed on Elan, a multimodal program which enables simultaneous description of audio and/or video. This is an on-going research and here we discuss some initial findings. Among the results, we enhance that Libras employs different discourse strategies of articulating complex sentences: the use of juxtaposition and facial expressions to articulate complex sentences, as well as the use of lexical items to characterize different complex relations, which emphasize the richness and creativity of Brazilian sign language. Thus, complex sentences in Brazilian sign language embodies different discursive strategies to structure parataxis, hypotaxis and enchainment.

Author Biographies

Bruno Gonçalves Carneiro, Universidade Federal do Tocantins

Graduado em Letras: Libras - Tradutor e Intérprete pela Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC). Mestre e doutorando em Letras e Linguística pela Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG). Professor do Curso de Letras: Libras da Universidade Federal do Tocantins, Campus de Porto Nacional. 

Carlos Roberto Ludwig, Universidade Federal do Tocantins

Graduado em Letras - Português e Inglês e Letras - Português e Francês pela Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM). Mestre e Doutor em Letras pela Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). Professor do Curso de Letras e docente permanente do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Letras, Mestrado em Letras, da Universidade Federal do Tocantins, Campus de Porto Nacional. É coordenador do Inventário da Língua Brasileira de Sinais da Região Metropolitana de Palmas - Tocantins (Corpus da Libras do Tocantins).

Published

2020-03-24

How to Cite

Carneiro, B. G., & Ludwig, C. R. (2020). SENTENCE ARTICULATION IN BRAZILIAN SIGN LANGUAGE – LIBRAS. DESAFIOS - Revista Interdisciplinar Da Universidade Federal Do Tocantins, 7(1), 64–77. https://doi.org/10.20873/uftv7-5758

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