A Grammar of Italian Sign Language (LIS)

1.1.1. Sequential compounds

In sequential compounds, two or more stems are signed one after another. In some of these, there are phonological reduction and assimilation processes, in others the stems are just fully expressed. As the stem can be part of the core and non-core lexicon (which include classifiers or pointing signs), there are four logical combinations of sequential compounds, as shown in the table below.

 

         Table: Possible patterns in sequential compounds

 

Core

Non-core

Core

Core^Core

Core^Non-core

Non-core

Non-core^Core

Non-core^Non-core

 

Example of each of these combinations are shown below.

         An example of Core^Core is the compound for ‘(to) fall in love’, composed by the core signs heart and goal.

 

                     

         heart^goal

         ‘(To) fall in love’ (based on Santoro, 2018: 156)

 

An example of Core^Non-core is the compound for ‘hard disk’,which is composed by the core sign memory and by the SASS(flat open 5): ‘rectangular_prism’ that denotes the size of the object itself (MORPHOLOGY 5.2).

 

                   

         memory^SASS(flat open 5): ‘rectangular_prism’

         ‘Hard disk’ (recreated from Santoro, 2018: 41)

 

An example of Non-core^Core is the compound for ‘fridge’which is composed by a handling classifier (MORPHOLOGY 5.1.3), which denotes how to open the fridge, and by the core sign cold.

 

                           

         CL(closed 5): ‘open_the_fridge’^cold

         ‘Fridge’ (recreated from Santoro, 2018: 42)

 

An example of Non-core^Non-core is compound for ‘dishwasher’,which is composed by the handling classifier which denotes how to open the dishwasher itself and the classifier that denotes the movement of the machine.

 

                  

         CL(closed 5): ‘open_the_dishwasher’^CL(G): ‘spin’

         Dishwasher’ (recreated from Santoro, 2018: 43)

List of editors

Chiara Branchini & Lara Mantovan

Copyright info

© 2020 Chiara Branchini, Chiara Calderone, Carlo Cecchetto, Alessandra Checchetto, Elena Fornasiero, Lara Mantovan & Mirko Santoro

Bibliographical reference for citation

The entire grammar:
Branchini, Chiara and Lara Mantovan (eds.). 2020. A Grammar of Italian Sign Language (LIS). 1st ed. (SIGN-HUB Sign Language Grammar Series). (http://sign-hub.eu/grammars/...) (Accessed 31-10-2021)

A Chapter:
Smith, Mary. 2020. Syntax: 3. Coordination and Subordination. In Branchini, Chiara and Lara Mantovan (eds.), A Grammar of Italian Sign Language (LIS). 1st ed. (SIGN-HUB Sign Language Grammar Series), 230-237. ((http://sign-hub.eu/grammars/...) (Accessed 31-10-2021)

A Section:
Smith, Mary. 2020. Phonology: 1.1.1.2. Finger configuration. In Mary, Smith, Ben Smith and Carlo Smith (eds.), A Grammar of Catalan Sign Language (LSC). 1st ed. (SIGN-HUB Sign Language Grammar Series), 230-237. (http://sign-hub.eu/grammars/...) (Accessed 31-10-2021)

Smith, Mary. 2020. Syntax: 3.1.2.1.3. Manual markers in disjunctive coordination. In Mary, Smith, Ben Smith and Carlo Smith (eds.), A Grammar of Catalan Sign Language (LSC). 1st edn. (SIGN-HUB Sign Language Grammar Series), 230-237. (http://sign-hub.eu/grammars/...) (Accessed 31-10-2021)