A Grammar of Italian Sign Language (LIS)

In LIS, predicative possession can be expressed with the same sign used to express existential constructions (SYNTAX 2.1.5.2), namely the sign glossed exist, as shown in the sentences below. The sign exist is accompanied by repeated head nods (hn), protruding lips (lp) and, optionally, lowered eyebrow (le). The word order is possessor – possessum - exist.

 

 

 

                                                             le

                                                             lp

                                                            hn

         a.            ix₁ motorbike exist

         ‘I have a motorbike.’

 

 

 

                                                                                      lp

                                                                                     hn

         b.            a-n-n-a peru ix(loc) house exist

         ‘Anna has a house in Peru.’

 

 

 

                                                                  lp

                                                                 hn

         c.            ix₂ temperature exist

         ‘You have temperature.’

 

 

 

                                                                y/n

         d.            ix₂ time free exist ix₂

         ‘Do you have some free time?’

 

 

 

                                                                                           lp

                                                                                          hn

         e.            father poss(G)₁ family other exist

         ‘My father has another family.’

 

The verb exist is not obligatory in predicative possessives in LIS. It is often dropped, as shown in the examples below. In the absence of the sign exist, the non-manual markers head nod, protruding lips, and, optionally, lowered eyebrows are present over the last sign of the sentence, which, in the following sentences coincides with the possessum (except in predicative possessive polar questions (d) where the interrogative non-manual markers override the non-manual markers present in predicative possessive constructions).

 

 

 

                                                   le

                                                   lp

                                                  hn

         a.            ix₁ motorbike

         ‘I have a motorbike.’

 

 

 

                                                                           lp

                                                                           hn

         b.            a-n-n-a peru ix(loc) house

         ‘Anna has a house in Peru.’

 

 

 

                                                        lp

                                                       hn

         c.            ix₂ temperature

         ‘You have temperature.’

 

 

 

                                                     y/n

         d.            ix₂ time free ix₂

         ‘Do you have some free time?’

 

The negative counterpart of the sign exist is the suppletive sign exist.not (MORPHOLOGY 3.5.2), accompanied by a head shake and furrowed eyebrows (neg), as in the example below. The sign exist.not occurs at the end of the sentence after the possessor and the possessum.

 

 

 

                                               neg

         m-a-r-c-o ix_a car exist.not

         ‘Marco doesn’t have a car.’

 

A possessive predication can also be negated with the negative sign not (SYNTAX 1.5.1.1.1), also accompanied by the same non-manuals marking negation in LIS, as shown in the following example. The negative sign not is produced in sentence-final position.

 

 

 

                                              neg

         m-a-r-c-o ix₃ car not

         ‘Marco doesn’t have a car.’