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INFORMATION SHEET NO. 1
DISTRIBUTIONAL ASPECTS *
Movements with certain verbs show how action is distributed among various subjects or objects. For example, does the action affect only one person or many persons? Does the action occur all at one time in the group, or one-after-the other?
One of the distributional aspects involves a sweeping motion. This "sweep" may be done with one or two hands. The eyes and head follow the movement of the hand. The "sweep" shows that the action is happening to everyone. An example: "The teacher gave papers to everyone in the class." The sweep motion occurs when you sign the verb "gave."
Another distributional aspect is the "all movement" The "all movement" shows the location of the people, places or things involved in the action, but the movement includes those people. For example, suppose you have two groups of people and the teacher is going to give papers to each group. "The teacher will give each group the papers." The movement is towards each group, separately.
A third aspect is called "unspecified" and is made with both hands. The hands work in an alternate circular manner. The head does not sweep, but sort of "bobs" as the movement is made. Suppose you are handing out candy to groups of people. As you make the movement, "give" the sign is made with both hands alternately, and not in any specific direction.
(For more information on classifiers, read American Sign Language, A Student Text, pages 150-169. A Basic Course in American Sign Language, pages 57-62; 112; 156-159.)
*Adapted from American Sign Language: A Student Text, Units 1-9, by Dennis Cokely and Charlotte
Baker-Shenk.
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