3.5.1.2.1. Non-manual markers and their properties in factual clauses
The obligatory non-manual markers used to mark the antecedent clause in factual conditional clauses are: raised eyebrows (re), chin down (cd) at the end of the antecedent clause, a signing pause and eye blink between the antecedent and the consequent clause and, optionally, body lean forward (bl-f) over the antecedent clause. The consequent clause is not marked by specific non-manual markers.
The following example shows the alignment and spreading of the non-manual marking in a factual conditional clause.
cd
bl-f
re
protest continue_va_va politician police meet
‘If the protest continues, the politicians will meet the police.’
The non-manual markers used in factual conditional clauses are very similar to those used in temporal clauses (SYNTAX 3.5.2.4). For this reason, in the absence of manual markers, a sentence like the one below might be ambiguous between a factual conditional clause and a temporal clause.
cd
bl-f
re
outside rain play impossible_no_way
‘If it rains, it is impossible to play.’
‘When it rains, it is impossible to play.’
