A Grammar of Italian Sign Language (LIS)

Verbal predicates that take an object clause are traditionally classified into a number of groups characterized in semantic terms. A representative set of predicates with some LIS verbs for each type is presented below.

         i) Desiderative predicates: hope

 

 

 

         gianni hope leave

         ‘Gianni hopes (to be able to) leave.’

 

         ii) Directive predicates: forbid

 

 

 

                                    re

         pietro leave ix gianni forbid

         ‘Gianni forbids Pietro from leaving.’

 

         iii) Achievement predicates: manage

 

 

 

                                                 re

         gianni leave punctual be_able

         ‘Gianni manages to leave on time.’

 

         iv) Factive predicates: complain

 

 

 

         gianni complain train go_away CL(curved open V): ‘get_on_train’ neg_o

         ‘Gianni complained that the train left and he could not board it.’

 

         v) Experiencer-object verbs: happy

  

 

 

                                re            bl-right

         gianni happy pietro leave

         ‘Gianni is happy that Pietro left.’

 

         vi) Aspectual verbs: begin

 

 

 

         gianni begin house build

         ‘Gianni began building a house.’

 

         vii) Perception predicates: see

 

 

 

                                      rs: Gianni

         gianni see maria leave

         ‘Gianni saw Maria leaving.’

 

         viii) Propositional attitude predicates: sure    

 

 

 

         gianni sure pietro cake eat all 

         ‘Gianni is sure that Pietro ate all the cake.’  

 

         ix) Utterance predicates: say

 

 

 

         gianni say pietro_a ix_a cake eat all 

         ‘Gianni said that Pietro ate all the cake.’