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ASL: minimal pairs:
In American Sign Language, "minimal pairs" are two signs which share all but one articulatory feature. In more simple words, a minimal pair is two signs that are almost the same but have one small difference in the way they are signed.
ASL minimal pairs typically differ in one of these five characteristics:
1. handshape
2. location
3. orientation
4. movement
5. non-manual markers (such as facial expressions, mouth movements, eyebrow position, and other physical aspects of a sign other than the hand or hands).
However ASL minimal pairs can have more nuanced or subtle differences as well, including:
path [this is a subset of movement]
repetition [this is a subset of movement]
force (how much force is involved) [this is a subset of movement]
order (the starting and ending location of the segments of the sign) [this is a subset of location]
duration (how long it takes you to do the sign)
number of hands used (Example CAT-[one-hand-version] vs CAT-[two-handed-version]
Discussion
Janet: Hi there.... would it be possible to chat with you and go over some sign language "minimal pairs" for my sign language college class? Or can I IM the info to you? My name is Janet ______.
Dr. Bill: Sure go ahead
JANET: The first set I'm working on have the same handshape, movement and location but have a different palm orientation:
sock/star
please/sorry
restaruant/cafeteria
good/bad
choose/pick
Can you think of any others? I have three other parameter sets as well but I would prefer to do one at a time. Is that ok?
Dr. Bill: Which college do you attend?
JANET: Columbus state community college, [Columbus, Ohio]
Dr. Bill: Ah, I see, and your teacher won't help you with this stuff or what?
JANET: No and i've been looking online for info and haven't found much. I'm really rusty with my signing so I'm trying to figure out if my pairs are really ok. I have to do four sets with one parameter of each set being different and everything else remaining the same.
Dr. Bill: Okay, the ones you have listed are good.
Dr. Bill: Except perhaps "choose/pick"
Dr. Bill: Unless you are saying one is an "F" hand and the other is an 8 hand?
JANET: Pick is up and down movement while choose is back and forth movement with everything else being the same
Dr. Bill: Ah...I see yah..."pick up vs. choose/select"
Dr. Bill: if I were you I'd grab a dictionary and just flip through it until I found signs that work for your project.
JANET: I've already done that and I'm just looking for some confirmations
Dr. Bill: k
Dr. Bill: let me look at your list again...hd
JANET: So, if that group looks ok how about this one…palm orientation, movement and location are the same but handshape is different:
think/know
sad/cry
pig/ dirty
apple/ candy
white/like
Dr. Bill: how about: summer, dry, ugly (except the facial expressions)
Dr. Bill: rooster / father
Dr. Bill: me / my
Dr. Bill: home / yesterday
Dr. Bill: cute / sweet
JANET: summer, dry and ugly I have in the category that location is different and everything else is the same right??
Dr. Bill: um, SAD and CRY are debatable
Dr. Bill: could also debate PIG and DIRTY--the movement is a bit different
Dr. Bill: the signs DIRTY and PIG both use could be called "internal wiggle" but the movement itself is different.
Dr. Bill: APPLE and CANDY are solid choices
Dr. Bill: WHITE/LIKE are good
JANET: handshape, palm orientation and movement are the same while location is different --
mother/father
grandmother/grandfather
dry/ugly/summer
apple/onion
cute/sweet
Dr. Bill: um cute /sweet are same location in my book (different handshape). I have though seen some people do a version of "candy" on the cheek that uses the "U" handshape. For CANDY, I prefer to twist an index finger on my cheek. Heh.
JANET: movement being different
coffee/make
must/need
think/wonder
thirsty/swallow
pain/opposite??
wait/fire
cheese/paper
lousy/bug
chocolate/church
disappear/start
break/change
What do you think?
Dr. Bill: coffee/make good
must/need debatable but yah (inflection: intensity)
think/wonder yah
thirsty/swallow debatable regarding palm orientation
pain/opposite?? yah (one version of pain, if use single movement)
wait/fire yah
cheese/paper yah
lousy/bug yes
chocolate/church yes
disappear/start debatable location
break/change debatable handshape
Dr. Bill: okay well looks like you will do well enough to pass eh? I gotta jam...anything else?
JANET: no but thanks...
Dr. Bill: good luck and have a nice evening.
JANET: u2
Dr. Bill: bye
JANET: thanks again
Dr. Bill: :) welcome bye
Notes:
Also see "Parameter Grouping"
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