1.2.3.3. Content interrogatives without wh-signs
In DGS it is also possible to have a wh-question without a wh-sign.
wh
time
‘What time is it?’
Although there is no manual wh-sign present, the use of a mouthing that includes a wh-word is obligatory to accompany the signs in DGS (in this case /wie spät/). This is also true for the sign how_old, that manually looks identical to the sign old. In order to be understood as the question ‘How old are you?’, the mouthing accompanying the sign has to be /wie alt/ ‘how old’ as shown in example below.
wh
you how_old
‘How old are you?’