A Grammar of Italian Sign Language (LIS)

Logophoric pronouns are used to mark co-referentiality with an individual whose point of view is being adopted. LIS does not have a specific set of pronouns conveying logophoricity.

            However, singular pronouns can function as logophoric pronouns in the context of role shift (SYNTAX 3.3.3). When role shift is not produced, ix₁ functions as a regular first-person pronoun referring to the signer. In the example below, the person who bought the house is the signer himself.

            maria reveal ix₁ house buy done

            ‘Maria revealed that I bought a house.’

On the contrary, when ix₁ is used under role shift, it is interpreted as referring to a different referent, mentioned in the discourse. This shift of reference is signalled by non-manuals co-articulated with the pronoun (here glossed as ‘rs’), such as change in the direction of eye gaze, body shift, and altered facial expressions. In the example below, ix₁ does not refer to the signer, rather it is co-referential with the individual whose perspective is adopted. Therefore, the house was not bought by the signer, rather by the referent of the matrix subject.

                                                             rs

            ix₃ say ix₁ house buy done

            ‘She said: “I did buy the house.”’

From an articulatory point of view, it is worth noting that the first-person pronoun referring to the signer and the one used logophorically have the same phonological shape.