A Grammar of Italian Sign Language (LIS)

In LIS, the lexical sign hearing is also used in context where the identity of the discourse referent is neither known nor close to the signer, as shown in the example below.

         museum enter free_of_charge be_able hearing ₃report₁         

         ‘Someone told me that you can get into the museum for free.’

In LIS, some manual signs seem to accompany and mark specificity by using different spatial locations. A specific interpretation arises, for example, when signs are realised in the lower frontal plane of the signing space.

         friend_a some_[down]a hide

         ‘Some friends were hiding.’

On the contrary, when non-anchored common nouns or plain verbs refer to non-specific discourse referents, they may be realised in the upper frontal plane. The example below shows a non-specific reading: neither the signer nor the addressee know the identity of the liars.

         palm_up ix_[up]a lie someone_[up]a person++_[up]a friend_b poss_{1 a}denounce_b

         ‘Some liars have denounced a friend of mine.’