A Grammar of Italian Sign Language (LIS)

Two types of clauses can be embedded: declarative (SYNTAX 1.1) and interrogative clauses (SYNTAX 1.2) (also called indirect questions).

         A declarative sentence can be embedded under another declarative sentence. In this case, the order of the matrix clause is SVO (a) or OSV (b) (SYNTAX 3.3.2) More generally a finite object clause normally precedes or follows the matrix clause (SYNTAX 3.3.2.2).

         a.            gianni think maria chocolate buy

         ‘Gianni thinks Maria bought chocolate.’

         b.            maria chocolate buy gianni think

         ‘Gianni thinks Maria bought chocolate.’

As to subject clauses, there does not seem to be a clear preference for the initial or final position. (SYNTAX 3.3.1.1) The word order within object and subject clauses tends to remain the same as that found in declarative sentences.

         Indirect questions (SYNTAX 1.2) follow the interrogative verb, both when they are polar (a), and when they are wh-questions (b), as can be seen in the two examples below.

                                                             y/n

          a.            ix₁ ask₁ gianni sick

         ‘I wonder whether Gianni is sick.’

                                                                         wh

         b.            ix_{3 3}ask₁ ix₁ buy q_artichoke

         ‘He asked me what I bought.’