A Grammar of German Sign Language (DGS)

Content interrogatives of DGS are typically marked non-manually with furrowed eyebrows and a slight head tilt forward, sometimes accompanied by a forward body lean for stronger emphasis.

These non-manual markings usually spread throughout the whole content interrogative. But it is also possible that non-manual markers spread only over the wh-sign at the end of the interrogative phrase, when the wh-sign is positioned at the end of the phrase.

                       wh

         topic what

         ‘What is the topic?’

In some cases, raised eyebrows can also accompany content interrogatives, changing the meaning to a notion of disbelief. In these cases, the function of the interrogative sentence is not to get an answer to what is questioned, but rather showing that one can’t believe a specific information about participants or settings, that has already been shared.

                                   re

         election win who

         ‘Who won the election?!’