본 연구는 한국수화의 수화 공간을 문법적 정보를 제공하고 의미의 변화를 가능하게 하는 통사적 기능의 장소로 살펴보았다. 한국수화 공간의 통사적 기능의 실현 양상을 요약하면 다음과 같다.

This study aims at investigating syntactic function of sign space in Korean Sign Language (KSL). In sign language with features of the visual-gestural, sign space is not only physical space where an individual sign is produced but also linguistic space where noun arrangement, pronominal reference, verb agreement, etc. are actualized (Bellugi, 1990). In other words, sign space is syntactic space, providing linguistic information; however, no study on spatial function in KSL has yet been carried out. Therefore, this study demonstrates the syntactic function of space and its individual realizations, focusing on person, coreference, referential shift, subject-object-verb agreement, and comparison. As a method, analysis of conversation of deaf adults, living in Seoul, whose first language is sign language, has been carried out in that referential expression as the main spatial function appears in natural conversational situations. The results indicate that KSL has specific linguistic features as well as a universal character of sign language.

This study aims at investigating syntactic function of sign space in Korean Sign Language (KSL). In sign language with features of the visual-gestural, sign space is not only physical space where an individual sign is produced but also linguistic space where noun arrangement, pronominal reference, verb agreement, etc. are actualized (Bellugi, 1990). In other words, sign space is syntactic space, providing linguistic information; however, no study on spatial function in KSL has yet been carried out. Therefore, this study demonstrates the syntactic function of space and its individual realizations, focusing on person, coreference, referential shift, subject-object-verb agreement, and comparison. As a method, analysis of conversation of deaf adults, living in Seoul, whose first language is sign language, has been carried out in that referential expression as the main spatial function appears in natural conversational situations. The results indicate that KSL has specific linguistic features as well as a universal character of sign language.

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Deaf people, Korean Sign Language (KSL), sign space, personal pronoun, agreement verbs, referent, visual-gestural modality.