# Inform or Transfer News ?

Annie Risler

► To cite this version:

Annie Risler. Inform or Transfer News?. Sign Café2, Oct 2023, Ragusa, Italy. hal-04378892

HAL Id: hal-04378892

https://hal.science/hal-04378892v1

Submitted on 8 Jan 2024

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Annie RISLER
UMR 8163 STL, CNRS &
Université de Lille, France
annie.risler@univ-lille.fr

# Inform or Transfer News ?
## Spatial constructions attested with transfer verbs in FLS : Focus on the verb INFOR Cognitive representation, semantic roles and grammatical markers : the relationships

### Transfer verbs and body anchoring : definitions

Body anchoring and subject marker (Meir et al. 2008: 375) :

Plain verbs and transfer verbs are lexically body-anchored due to their origin : coming from the lexicalization of an enactment, the oriented hand-movement begins or ends in reference to the signer's body.

Consequently, for plain verbs, reference to the subject is spatially marked on the signer's body, by a corporal locusC.

**Question :** Is it the case for transfer verbs ?

Transfer verbs : (Fenlon et al. 2018:86)

Transfer verbs are indicating verbs that express the transfer of an entity (concrete or abstract) from a former to a future possessor (eg. give or inform). They “move in space between (and/or are oriented toward/away from) the locations of physically present referents and/or locations associated with absent referents”.

Considered as a dual, or transitive semantic relation between an agent (who is sending) and a patient (who is receiving). But is it the case ?

**Questions :** What can grammatical constructions with transfer verbs reveal about the involved semantic roles ?

### Methodology

- Extraction of all the occurrences of **INFORM/INFORMATION**, in French Sign Language (FSL) LS-Colin Corpus (Cuxac et al. 2002), usually considered as a directional and reversible verb or indicating verb.

= 24 occurrences found in videos of six signers in monologue addressed discourse, talking about euro as new money, the twin towers terrorist attack, or the explosion of AZF factory.

- Comparison of internal verb-components,

- Listing of different predicate/argument constructions

### Annotation policies

#### 1. verbal morphology : internal verb-components

Postulating that **body marks the position of the subject**

Taking account of the direction of eye gaze and posture :

**arg** : argument's marker in the verbal morphology

**arg1** : first argument's marker = **subject marker** ;

C = corporal locus ; loc_a = spatial locus ; loc0 = deictic center

**arg2** : second argument's marker = spatial locus encoded by the beginning or the end of the manual trajectory, only if marked by a glance at this location.

arg1 allways noted on the left side of the verb and arg2 on the right.

**arg1-verb-arg2** : a verb with two spatial markers

**arg1-verb** or **verb-arg2** : verbs with one single argument-marker

#### 2. Argument-predicate construction

**ARG** = argument explicitely mentioned in the sentence

(**ARG**) : argument present in a previous sentence, but not repeted in the current proposition

**ARG1** corresponds to the nominal expression of arg1,

**ARG2** corresponds to the nominal expression of arg2

**ARG3** is a third argument, without correspondant marker in the verb.

#### 3. Examples

<figure><img src="image_3.png" /></figure>

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### Conclusions :

* This study challenges the analysis of transfer verbs as a subclass of indicating verbs connecting the locus of an agent-sender with that of a patient-receiver.

* It refutes the concept of semantic transitivity usually associated with transfer verbs in SL, and the directionality and reversibility attributed to transfer verbs.

* Cognitive conceptualization of an event forces a speaker to adopt a given perspective, determines the lexical choice of the predicate and the semantic value of its arguments and imposes the syntactic spatial construction and the morphological markers in the verb.

* At a referential level, the event concerns a transfer of information between people. However, such an event can be conceptualized in multiple ways.

* At a semantic level, a transfer verb expresses either the experience of a person (sender or a receiver), or a relation between an experiencer and the initial/final location of a transferred entity.

* Grammatical components of transfer verbs encode one or two arguments : an experiencer and a locative (source or goal). They never encode the couple agent-patient.

### Results : 2 transfer verbs and 1 path verb, each having a nominal or a verbal use

For 16 of the 18 verbal occurrences, the signer's body is involved as the place referring to an experiencer (agent/sender, or patient/receiver).

Postulating that body marks the position of the subject implies to consider

2 distinct verbs : **send_news**, and **receive_news**;

This fact is corroborated by the use of two distinct nouns :

The 2 other verbal occurrences, look like a path verb : **news_path**

<table><tr><td>Total occurrences = 24</td></tr><tr><td>Substantive = 6</td><td>RECEIVED_NEWS = 4</td><td>SENT_NEWS = 2</td></tr><tr><td>Verb = 18</td><td>RECEIVED_NEWS = 12</td><td>SENT_NEWS = 4</td><td>NEWS_PATH = 2</td></tr></table>

### 3 verbs and their constructions

**x-SEND-NEWS**

**x-SEND_NEWS_TO-loc**

<table><thead><tr><th colspan="4">NOMINAL ARGUMENTS</th><th colspan="4">VERBAL COMPONENTS AND SPATIAL MARKERS</th><th rowspan="2">CONSTRUCTION</th><th rowspan="2">TRANSLITÉRATION</th></tr><tr><th>ARG1 =<br>subject</th><th>ARG2 = locative</th><th>ARG3</th><th>fonction</th><th>arg1</th><th>arg2</th><th>arg3</th><th>Prédicat</th><th>ARG3</th><th>ARG1 FAUT c-donne info</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>PTÉ3</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>c-</td><td></td><td></td><td>C-donne info-pl</td><td></td><td>OBJECTIF GROUPE SOURD PTÉ3 FAUT c-donne info-pl</td></tr><tr><td>PTÉ3</td><td>PARTOUT-<br>locDiffus</td><td></td><td></td><td>c-</td><td>locDiffus</td><td></td><td>c-donne info-locDiffus</td><td>(ARG1) ARG2 c-donne info-locDiffus</td><td>PTÉ3 c-yoyage-locDiffus.pl FRANCE partout-locDiffus c-donne info-locDiffus.pl</td></tr><tr><td>indéterminé</td><td></td><td>PRESENTATION.pl</td><td>Circ.<br>Temporo-<br>spatial</td><td>c-</td><td></td><td></td><td>c-donne_info</td><td>ARG3 c-donne_info</td><td>PRESENTATION MULTIPLE c-donne_info</td></tr><tr><td>pté1</td><td>(ELEVES)</td><td>« MOI<br>c-trouve-loc<br>TABAC</td><td>objet</td><td>c-</td><td>loc_a</td><td></td><td>0 c-donne info-loc_a</td><td>(ARG2) ARG3 ARG1 c-donne_info-loc_a</td><td>« MOI c-trouve-loc tabac » pté1 c-donne_info-loc_a</td></tr></tbody></table>

<figure><img src="image_6.png" /></figure>

I informed them : PTÉ1 c-SEND_NEWS-loc
ARG1 arg1 - verb - arg2

**x-RECEIVE_NEWS**

**x-RECEIVE_NEWS_FROM-loc**

<table><thead><tr><th colspan="4">NOMINAL ARGUMENTS</th><th colspan="4">VERBAL COMPONENTS AND SPATIAL MARKERS</th><th rowspan="2">CONSTRUCTION</th><th rowspan="2">TRANSLITÉRATION</th></tr><tr><th>ARG1 =<br>subject</th><th>ARG2 = locative</th><th>ARG3</th><th>fonction</th><th>arg1</th><th>arg2</th><th>arg3</th><th>Prédicat</th><th>ARG1</th><th>ARG2 c-reçoit info</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>SOURD</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>c-</td><td></td><td></td><td>c-reçoit info</td><td></td><td>AUSSI SOURD c-reçoit_info</td></tr><tr><td>pté1</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>c-</td><td></td><td></td><td>c-reçoit info</td><td>ARG1 c-reçoit info</td><td>VRAI pté1 c-reçoit_info</td></tr><tr><td>pté1</td><td>/indéterminé/</td><td></td><td></td><td>c-</td><td>-loc_haut</td><td></td><td>c-reçoit info-loc_haut</td><td>arg1 c-reçoit info-loc_haut</td><td>pté1i FINI c-reçoit info-loc_haut</td></tr><tr><td>pté1</td><td>(FILS)</td><td></td><td></td><td>c-</td><td>-loc_a</td><td></td><td>C-reçoit info-loc_a</td><td>(ARG2) ARG1 c-reçoit info-loc_a</td><td>pté1 quoi-loc_a c-reçoit info-loc_a</td></tr><tr><td>(MOI)</td><td>PAPA vers ici-<br>loc0 MAISON</td><td></td><td></td><td>c-</td><td>loc0</td><td></td><td>c-reçoit info-loc0</td><td>(ARG1) ARG2 c-reçoit info-loc0</td><td>PAPA vers ici-loc0 MAISON c-reçoit infos-loc0</td></tr><tr><td>(MOI)</td><td>SOEUR HABITE<br>PARIS-loc_a</td><td></td><td></td><td>c-</td><td>loc_a</td><td></td><td>c-reçoit info-loc_a</td><td>(ARG1) ARG2 c-V-loc_a</td><td>SOEUR HABITE PARIS-loc_a c-reçoit info-loc_a c-reussi</td></tr><tr><td>(AMI<br>SOURD)</td><td>TELEVISION</td><td></td><td></td><td>c-</td><td>loc_a</td><td></td><td>c-reçoit info-loc_a</td><td>(ARG1) c-reçoit info-loc_a ARG2</td><td>c-reçoit info-loc_a TELEVISION</td></tr><tr><td>(pté1)</td><td>(11/9 Day)</td><td></td><td></td><td>c-</td><td>loc_a</td><td></td><td>c-reçoit info-loc_a</td><td>(ARG1-ARG2) c-reçoit info-loc_a</td><td>MAIS c-reçoit info-loc_a</td></tr><tr><td>(MOI)</td><td></td><td>FILS-dit à moi objet</td><td></td><td>c-</td><td></td><td></td><td>c-reçoit info</td><td>(ARG1) ARG3 c-reçoit info</td><td>FILS dit-à moi c-reçoit info</td></tr><tr><td>pté1</td><td>/indéterminé/</td><td>ÇA-loc_b</td><td>objet</td><td>c-</td><td></td><td></td><td>c-reçoit info</td><td>ARG1 c-reçoit info ARG3</td><td>pté1 c-reçoit info PROGRESSIF MIEUX c-reçoit info ÇA-loc_b</td></tr><tr><td>indéterminé</td><td></td><td>EURO</td><td>objet</td><td>c-</td><td>-loc_haut</td><td></td><td>0 c-reçoit info-loc_haut</td><td>(ARG1) c-reçoit info-loc_haut ARG3</td><td>c-reçoit info-loc_haut X2 EURO X2</td></tr><tr><td>(pté1)</td><td>JOURNAL-loc_a</td><td>SITUATION</td><td>objet</td><td>c-</td><td>loc_a</td><td></td><td>0 c-reçoit info-loc_a</td><td>(ARG1) ARG2 c-reçoit info-loc_a ARG3</td><td>JOURNAL-loc_a c-reçoit info-loc_a JUSTE SITUATION</td></tr></tbody></table>

<figure><img src="image_7.png" /></figure>

My friend received news from TV
(FRIEND) c-RECEIVE_NEWS-loc_a TV

(ARG1) arg1 - verb - arg2 ARG2

**NEWS-PATH**

<figure><img src="image_8.png" /></figure>

Information comes from TV
TELEVISION-loc0 INFO_MOVE-from Loc0
ARG2 verb - arg2

<table><thead><tr><th colspan="4">NOMINAL ARGUMENTS</th><th colspan="4">VERBAL COMPONENTS AND SPATIAL MARKERS</th><th rowspan="2">CONSTRUCTION</th><th rowspan="2">TRANSLITÉRATION</th></tr><tr><th>ARG1 =<br>subject</th><th>ARG2 = locative</th><th>ARG3</th><th>fonction</th><th>arg1</th><th>arg2</th><th>arg3</th><th>Prédicat</th><th>ARG2</th><th>ARG1 INFO-ALLER-depuis loc0</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>INFO</td><td>(ASSOCIATION)</td><td></td><td></td><td>loc0</td><td></td><td></td><td>INFO-VENIR vers loc0</td><td>(ARG2) INFO-VENIR-vers loc0</td><td>INFO-VIENT-vers loc0</td></tr><tr><td>INFO</td><td>TELEVISION</td><td></td><td></td><td>loc0</td><td></td><td></td><td>INFO-ALLER-depuis loc0</td><td>ARG2 INFO-ALLER-depuis loc0</td><td>TELEVISION -loc0 INFO_MOVE-depuis loc0</td></tr></tbody></table>

### Verbal morphology of SEND/RECEIVE_NEWS

First-argument's marker :

C- (the corporal locus) refers to the **sender** or the **receiver** even when it does not refer to the signer him/herself. Personal reference associated with the signer's body shifts from the signer her/himself at the moment of uttering into the experiencer whoever he or she is, at the moment of utterance.

For 6 occurrences, **only one spatial marker** (the signer or the receiver) is included in the construction.

Internal verb composition with **two spatial markers** is the most frequent : 10 out of 18 occurrences.

Second-argument's marker : -loc

Referents associated with the second-argument's locus :

- 4 animates = son, father (who arrived home), sister (who lives in Paris), students (asking me)

- 4 Inanimates : television set, newspaper, all around France, 9/11 event

- 2 undetermined

Whatever it refers to, the second argument is always marked in the same way in the verb : by a locus

Examples : My friend received news from TV (FRIEND) c-RECEIVE_NEWS-loc_a TELEVISION I managed to get news by my sister who lives in Paris SISTER LIVE_IN PARIS-loc_a c-RECEIVE_NEWS-loc_a c-SUCCESS

The second argument has a **semantic role of a locative** argument : source or goal of the information path.

Grammatical construction c-verb-loc shows a similarity between transfer verbs and lexicalized motion verbs (action of motion, Risler 2017)

c-move_to-loc. c-send_news_to-loc

When the **couple sender/receiver** is expressed, the verbal predicate only marks the first argument. The argument for the receiver behaves like an **ARG3**, not integrated in the predicate' spatial construction.

Example : concerning deaf people, he must inform (be the informer)

FOR GROUP DEAF PTÉ3 MUST c-SEND_NEWS.pl
ARG3 ARG1 arg1-verb

### A great variety of conceptualization types reflected in various predicate/argument constructions

Cf. Cognitive iconicity (Wilcox 2004)

<table><tr><td>Constructions</td><td>RECEIVE_NEWS = 12</td><td>SEND_NEWS = 4</td></tr><tr><td>ARG1 arg1-VERB = 3</td><td>c-RECEIVE_NEWS = 2</td><td>c-SEND_NEWS = 1</td></tr><tr><td>ARG3 ARG1 arg1-VERB = 3</td><td>c-RECEIVE_NEWS = 2</td><td>c-SEND_NEWS = 1</td></tr><tr><td>ARG2 ARG1 arg1-VERB -arg2 = 7</td><td>c-RECEIVE_NEWS-loc = 6</td><td>c-SEND_NEWS-loc = 1</td></tr><tr><td>ARG2 ARG1 arg1-VERB -arg2 ARG3 = 3</td><td>c-RECEIVE_NEWS-loc = 2</td><td>c-SEND_NEWS-loc = 1</td></tr><tr><td>ARG2 PATH_VERB-arg2 = 2</td><td></td><td>NEW_PATH-loc = 2</td></tr></table>

### Constructions with SEND_NEWS or RECEIVE_NEWS

- the transfer event is conceptualized either as the **experience of a person**, or as a relation between the experiencer and the **initial/final location of a transferred entity**.

- orientation of the predicative relation is determined by a **perspective shift** (Janzen 2004) : from the receiver or the giver point of view ; focusing on different parts of the event ; involving one, two or three entities.

- semantic roles attributed to the arguments are the following : **experiencer** (+ / - agentive), **locative** argument (source or goal of the transfer)

**object** (the content of the transferred entity)

the **object argument** is not involved in the spatial construction of the verb, topicalized, or mentioned after the verbal sign.

- the spatial construction centered on the corporal locus offers the possibility to add expressivity through a role play (or enactment), a specific way to mark the degree of agentivity obviously associated with the experiencer.

### Constructions with NEWS_PATH

The transfer event is conceptualized as a **change of location of an entity**, without any semantic role of agent or patient. In our small corpus data source or goal of the path are always associated with spatial loci. However, the signer's body could have also been integrated in the construction, as source or goal.

<figure><img src="image_9.png" /></figure>