A Grammar of Italian Sign Language (LIS)

Personal pronouns in LIS take on different forms if more than one referent is involved.

            Plural marking is realised by modifying the movement associated with the pointing signs. Two different plural forms are attested: i) a collective one, characterized by straight or circular movement, and ii) a distributive one, realised by heading the pointing sign toward multiple space points lying along a line. These options are illustrated below for each plural pronoun.

            The first-person plural pronoun, in its collective form (a), starts and ends in correspondence with the signer’s locus and typically displays a circular movement.

 

 

 

            a.         ix_1pl-coll

 

 

 

            b.         ix_1pl-distr

 

The second-person plural pronoun, in its collective form, may be articulated: with sideways palm orientation and ipsilateral straight movement (a), with downward palm orientation and ipsilateral straight movement (b), or with a circular movement (c).

 

 

 

            a.         ix_2pl-coll (sideways palm + straight movement)

 

 

 

            b.         ix_2pl-coll (downward palm + straight movement)

 

 

 

            c.         ix_2pl-coll (circular movement)

 

 

 

            d.         ix_2pl-distr

 

The third-person plural pronoun, in its collective form, may be articulated: with sideways palm orientation and ipsilateral straight movement (a), with downward palm orientation and ipsilateral straight movement (b), or with a circular movement (c).

 

 

 

            a.         ix_3pl-coll (sideways palm + straight movement)

 

 

 

            b.         ix_3pl-coll (downward palm + straight movement)

 

 

 

            c.         ix_3pl-coll (circular movement)

 

 

 

            d.         ix_3pl-distr

 

Another form of number marking is realised by changing the handshape of the pointing sign according to the number of participants involved. The dual form (i.e. when the pronoun refers to two entities) displays some phonological peculiarities, since it is realised with a repeated path movement and incorporates different handshapes according to the type of participants involved: handshape L with sideways palm orientation is used for first person plus non-first person (a), whereas handshape V with upward palm orientation is used for two non-first persons (b).

 

 

 

            a.         ix₁₊₃

            ‘The two of us’

 

 

 

            b.         ix_2a+2b

            ‘The two of you’

 

When the pronoun refers to three, four, or five referents, numeral incorporation (LEXICON 3.10) occurs with no distinction for participant type with palm facing upward. Some examples are provided below.

 

 

 

            a.         ix_2pl^three

            ‘The three of you’

 

 

 

            b.         ix_1pl^four

            ‘The four of us’

 

 

 

            c.         ix_3pl^five

            ‘The five of them’

 

Numeral incorporation within the personal pronoun is attested in LIS from two to five. If more than five participants are involved, signers tend to sequentially combine the plural form of the pronoun and the relevant numeral.

 

             

            ix_2pl                                 six

            ‘The six of us’