Time
Time in ASL is represented using a forward-backward spacial timeline, the base hand as a reference, and with productive numeral incorporation.
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Point 1: The TimeLine
ASL time signs and discourse around time makes use of a spatial 'timeline'. Within this timeline, close to the body represents time close to the present. This can be seen, for example, in the signs often glossed as "NOW", "TODAY", and "THIS-WEEK". The future is represented by the space in front of the body, and movement forward in space represents movement forward in time. This can be seen, for example in the signs often glossed as "WILL", "TOMORROW", and "NEXT-WEEK". The space behind the signer's body represents the past, and movement backwards in space represents movement backwards in time. This can be seen, for example in the signs often glossed as "WAS", "YESTERDAY", and "LAST-WEEK"
Within this timeline, a number of non manual inflections are used. For example, the non-manual morpheme called "CS", meaning "near to" or "especially close", can be used equally to convey spacial proximity (as in "just around the corner") if used during spatial depiction, or "just now" if applied to the time line. Take the signs glossed as "RECENTLY". With varying intensities of the "CS" signal, these signs can convey "something recently happened", "something just happened", or "something just happened! Just now!" The ASL signs glossed as "ME ARRIVE", with varying intensities of the signal can convey, "I got here", "I just got here", or "I just got here! Just now!" As we can see, as the intensity of the "CS" signal increases, so does the conveyed proximity in space or time.
This also holds true for the signals the green book calls: "intense" and "puff. cheeks", which signify greatness of quantity, volume or distance. These signals can apply either to "far in space" (as in "turn left and go down a long hallway") if used during spacial depiction, or "far in time" (as in "a long long long time ago") if used along the timeline.
Within this timeline, a number of non manual inflections are used. For example, the non-manual morpheme called "CS", meaning "near to" or "especially close", can be used equally to convey spacial proximity (as in "just around the corner") if used during spatial depiction, or "just now" if applied to the time line. Take the signs glossed as "RECENTLY". With varying intensities of the "CS" signal, these signs can convey "something recently happened", "something just happened", or "something just happened! Just now!" The ASL signs glossed as "ME ARRIVE", with varying intensities of the signal can convey, "I got here", "I just got here", or "I just got here! Just now!" As we can see, as the intensity of the "CS" signal increases, so does the conveyed proximity in space or time.
This also holds true for the signals the green book calls: "intense" and "puff. cheeks", which signify greatness of quantity, volume or distance. These signals can apply either to "far in space" (as in "turn left and go down a long hallway") if used during spacial depiction, or "far in time" (as in "a long long long time ago") if used along the timeline.
Point 2: Base Hand
The base hand is also used in many different ways in ASL time signs and discourse around time. One way in which the base hand used is as a reference point along the timeline. For example, a the base hand placed in front of the body may be "labeled" as the month of September, and then subsequent discourse may reference the space around the hand, which has been used in order to established that space along the timeline as September. As long as the base hand remains in that location, the location will continue to signify that point on the timeline.
The base hand may also act as a reference to other visual symbols of time, such as an imaginary horizon (seen in the signs for "DAY", "AFTERNOON", and "EARLY-MORNING", where the active hand represents the path of the sun, and the last of which incorporates the NMS signal "CS" to indicate closeness of the sun to the horizon), a clock (as seen in the signs for "HOUR", "MINUTE", "HALF-AN-HOUR", which have the active hand represent the minute hand), or a calendar (as seen in the signs for "WEEK" and "MONTH", where the active hand traces horizontally across the week, or vertically down the month).
The base hand may also act as a reference to other visual symbols of time, such as an imaginary horizon (seen in the signs for "DAY", "AFTERNOON", and "EARLY-MORNING", where the active hand represents the path of the sun, and the last of which incorporates the NMS signal "CS" to indicate closeness of the sun to the horizon), a clock (as seen in the signs for "HOUR", "MINUTE", "HALF-AN-HOUR", which have the active hand represent the minute hand), or a calendar (as seen in the signs for "WEEK" and "MONTH", where the active hand traces horizontally across the week, or vertically down the month).
Point 3: Numeral Incorporation
Like in plurals of other nouns, some "time signs" can incorporate numbers into them. This can be seen in examples such as "FIVE-DAYS".
By combining numeral incorporation, NMS, the timeline, and the base hand, complex compounds can be constructed which may be equivalent to a long English phrase, expressed in a single sign! An examples of this is "EVERY-TWO-DAYS", which inflects the sign for "DAY" with the numeral "TWO", and reduplication to communicate regularity, or "THAT'S-TWO-WHOLE-WEEKS-FROM-NOW*", which inflects the sign for "WEEK" with the numeral "TWO", forward motion along the timeline, and the NMS "intense" which communicates that the period of time feels incredibly long.
By combining numeral incorporation, NMS, the timeline, and the base hand, complex compounds can be constructed which may be equivalent to a long English phrase, expressed in a single sign! An examples of this is "EVERY-TWO-DAYS", which inflects the sign for "DAY" with the numeral "TWO", and reduplication to communicate regularity, or "THAT'S-TWO-WHOLE-WEEKS-FROM-NOW*", which inflects the sign for "WEEK" with the numeral "TWO", forward motion along the timeline, and the NMS "intense" which communicates that the period of time feels incredibly long.