A Linguistically Motivated Computational Framework for Irish Sign Language

APPROVED ; This research is concerned with the development of a linguistically motivated computational framework for Irish Sign Language (ISL) and defining a lexicon architecture that is sufficiently universal and robust to accommodate the linguistic phenomena pertinent to sign languages, in particular to this research ISL, in linguistic terms. To date, there is no definition for the architecture of the ISL lexicon in computational terms. ISL is a visual gestural languages articulated in 3D space with no written or aural form. ISL is a linguistically complete, very rich and complex language. Communication across sign languages occurs using visual-gestural modality, encompassing Manual Features (MFs) and Non-Manual Features (NMFs). MFs include hand shapes, hand locations, hand movements and orientation of the palm of the hands. NMFs include the use of eye gaze, facial expression, mouthing, head and upper body movements. The visual gestural realisation of a word in SL involves the simultaneous and parallel expression of a varied number of MFs and NMFs, each with their own duration, orientation and relative configuration and movement. The four research questions that this dissertation addresses are: RQ1. To what extent can RRG account successfully for ISL sentence structure? RQ2. How do we motivate the phonological-morphological interface in ISL? RQ3. How might lexical entries look for ISL classifiers, ISL verbs and ISL nouns within the RRG lexicon? RQ4. What is the appropriate linguistically motivated computational architecture for ISL and where within this architecture should the ISL grammatical morpheme repository reside? We will seek to implement a humanoid avatar, constrained in 3D space similar to human muscular skeletal constraints and we will utilise this avatar to motivate the design of our lexicon architecture for ISL. We endeavour to utilise Role and Reference Grammar (RRG), a structural functionalist theory of grammar and a functional model of language in the development of our linguistically motivated ...