A Grammar of German Sign Language (DGS)

Headshake in DGS typically spreads onto constituents preceding the predicate of a sentence, and strictly remains within the domain of predicative noun phrases [Syntax 4] or verb phrases [Syntax 2]. DGS examples of negated sentences below show how the headshake on the verbal predicates buy and drink spread over the direct objects flower and coffee.

                                         hs

a.         ix_3a woman flower buy

            ‘This woman does not buy a flower.’

(based on Pfau, 2008: 62)

 

   

                                        hs

b.         t-i-m coffee drink

            ‘Tim does not drink coffee.’

              (based on Happ & Vorköper, 2006: 371)

 

Headshake usually does not spread over subject constituents, but in cases where the subject appears as a pronoun, the headshake may spread onto it. The same spreading pattern can be seen in conditional clauses [Syntax 3.5.1] when the part of the clause denoting consequence is negated. See DGS examples below for a headshake spreading over the entire sentence.

a.                                 hs

            ix_3a flower buy

‘She does not buy a flower.’

(based on Pfau, 2008: 62)

    

                                                                        hs

b.          if ix₂ voice practice, (ix₂) exam fail

            ‘If you practice voicing, you won’t fail the interpreting exams.’

(based on Happ & Vorköper, 2006: 456)