Variation in American Sign Language: The case of DEAF

Variation in sign languages has been a neglected area of research in sociolinguistics. This article, part of a large-scale study of variation in American Sign Language (ASL) designed to redress that situation, examines variation in the form of the sign DEAF, which can be produced by moving the forefinger from ear to chin, from chin to ear, or by contacting the lower cheek. Multivariate analysis of more than 1600 tokens of DEAF extracted from sociolinguistic interviews with 207 signers residing in seven regions of the United States shows that both linguistic and social factors significantly constrain choice among the three variants. The analysis also illustrates patterns that parallel variation in spoken languages. However, despite the similarities to variation in spoken languages, we suggest that results for the regional patterning of variation are best explained by reference to Deaf history, particularly to changes in the status and use of ASL in deaf education.     

Discourse variation,grammaticalisation and stuff like that1

General extenders (such as and stuff) are analysed here in the speech of adolescents from three English towns. There were no consistent patterns of gender or social class variation in their use, but a clear social class difference in the use of certain forms, with and that favoured by the working‐class speakers and and stuff and and things preferred by the middle‐class adolescents. The most frequent forms were analysed in terms of phonetic reduction, decategorisation, semantic change and pragmatic shift, changes that together make up the process of grammaticalisation. And that and and everything were the most grammaticalised, followed by or something, with and stuff and and things lagging behind. The multifunctionality of the general extenders caused problems for a rigorous analysis of their pragmatic functions. The paper argues that we must consider their functions within the local contexts in which they occur, to take account of their interaction with other linguistic forms. It is also important to avoid generalising about their functions and, instead, to prioritise the fact that as pragmatic particles they are multifunctional. In this data the general extenders had functions in every communicative domain, often simultaneously. The implications for the quantitative analysis of discourse forms are also considered.     

‘Talkin' Jockney’? Variation and change in Glaswegian accent1

This paper presents an analysis of language variation and change in a socially stratified corpus of Glaswegian collected in 1997. Eight consonantal variables in read and spontaneous speech from 32 speakers were analysed separately and then together using multivariate analysis. Our results show that middle‐class speakers, with weaker network ties and more opportunities for mobility and contact with English English speakers, are maintaining traditional Scottish features. Working‐class adolescents, with more limited mobility and belonging to close‐knit networks, are changing their vernacular by using ‘non‐local’ features such as TH‐fronting and reducing expected Scottish features such as postvocalic /r/. We argue that local context is the key to understanding the findings. Mobility and network structures are involved, but must be taken in conjunction with the recent history of structural changes to Glasgow and the resulting construction of local class‐based language ideologies which continue to be relevant in the city today.     

并行和自适应搜索的遗传算法

遗传算法是受生物进化和遗传规律的启发而形成的一种优化算法.它仿照生物进化和遗传规律,利用复制、杂交、变异等操作,使优胜者生存繁殖,劣败者淘汰消亡,一代一代地重复操作,最终找出最优解.     

On kernel density estimation near endpoints

In this paper, we consider the estimation problem of f(0), the value of density f at the left endpoint 0. Nonparametric estimation of f(0) is rather formidable due to boundary effects that occur in nonparametric curve estimation. It is well known that the usual kernel density estimates require modifications when estimating the density near endpoints of the support. Here we investigate the local polynomial smoothing technique as a possible alternative method for the problem. It is observed that our density estimator also possesses desirable properties such as automatic adaptability for boundary effects near endpoints. We also obtain an ‘optimal kernel’ in order to estimate the density at endpoints as a solution of a variational problem. Two bandwidth variation schemes are discussed and investigated in a Monte Carlo study.     

Multi-objective nonlinear programming problem approach in multivariate stratified sample surveys in the case of non-response

In multivariate cases, usually the minimization of sampling variances is considered as an objective under a cost constraint. Since the variances are not unit free, it is more logical to consider the minimization of the squared coefficients of variation as an objective. In this paper, the problem of optimum compromise allocation in multivariate stratified sampling in the case of non-response as a multi-objective all-integer nonlinear programming problem is described. A solution procedure using four different approaches is considered, namely the value function, goal programming,∈-constraint and distance based, to obtain the compromise allocation for non-response. A numerical example is also presented to illustrate the computational details.     

ORDANOVA: Analysis of ordinal variation

In order to accelerate object evaluation, some measurement systems commonly use an ordinal scale (e.g., stick results, quality estimation). This paper presents a way to analyze ordinal data variation. As in classical ANOVA for continual data, ORDANOVA for ordinal data splits the total variation into within and between components. This decomposition has various practical applications such as classification, cluster analysis, distinguishing feature identification and so on.     

浅析洋泾浜语

洋泾浜语的产生、种类、分布、特点以及与克里奥尔语的关系等有关知识对于语言工作者来说应该有所了解。这样便于消除大家对洋泾浜语的偏见,以公正的态度来对待它们。     

The social dimension of the Southern Vowel Shift: Gender, age and class

The three most broadly recognized dialect areas of American Regional English are currently being re-defined by, in some cases, sweeping changes that alter the way vowels are being pronounced in the South, North and West. While research into the changes in urban Northern dialects has contributed a fairly broad picture of both the phonetic and social character of the Northern Cities Shift (NCS), the changes affecting the Southern region of the U.S. have received less attention, particularly in terms of social distribution and dissemination. This paper seeks to address the question of how successfully changes in the high and mid front and back vowels in the South are being disseminated throughout a local urban community and how these changes fit in with changes occurring in other American dialects. In addition, the paper weighs the attraction to local or national norms in determining the success and diffusion of each of the shifts relative to the social environment in which they are developing and attempts to relate the local social embedding of the shifts to their meaning in the larger national context.