A Grammar of German Sign Language (DGS)

PDF (Oct 2020)

1.2.3.7. Doubling of the wh-sign

As already shown in Syntax 1.2.3.5., doubling of wh-signs is possible in DGS. The function of wh-sign doubling is emphasis.

why ix₂ ix(dem)_aclothing like why

‘Why do you like these clothes?’

Not only simple wh-signs can be doubled, but also more complex wh-constructions such as seen in the example below. In content interrogatives with doubled wh-signs, the non-manual markers spread over the whole sentence.

how_exactly go party how_exactly

‘How exactly did the party go?’

Doubling constructions emphasize request towards the interlocutor to get a response to the question.

List of editors

Sina Proske, Derya Nuhbalaoglu, Annika Herrmann, Jana Hosemann & Markus Steinbach

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 License.
For details go to https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/licensing-examples/#by-nc-sa

Bibliographical reference for citation

The entire grammar:
Sina Proske, Derya Nuhbalaoglu, Annika Herrmann, Jana Hosemann & Markus Steinbach (eds.). 2020. A Grammar of German Sign Language (DGS). 1st ed. (SIGN-HUB Sign Language Grammar Series). (http://thesignhub.eu/grammar/dgs) (Accessed 31-10-2021)

A chapter:
Smith, Mary. 2020. Syntax: 3. Coordination and Subordination. In Sina Proske, Derya Nuhbalaoglu, Annika Herrmann, Jana Hosemann and Markus Steinbach (eds.), A Grammar of German Sign Language (DGS). 1st ed. (SIGN-HUB Sign Language Grammar Series), 230-237. ((https://thesignhub.eu/grammar/dgs) (Accessed 31-10-2021)

A section:
Smith, Mary. 2020. Phonology: 1.1.1.2. Finger configuration. In Sina Proske, Derya Nuhbalaoglu, Annika Herrmann, Jana Hosemann and Markus Steinbach (eds.), A Grammar of German Sign Language (DGS). 1st ed. (SIGN-HUB Sign Language Grammar Series), 230-237. (http://thesignhub.eu/grammar/dgs) (Accessed 31-10-2021)