3.7.2.3. Clusivity
First person plural pronouns may express, in addition to reference to the speaker, if they also include or exclude the addressee(s). If the plural form is displaced towards one of the sides of the signer’s chest, it conveys the exclusive meaning (‘I and others, not you’). If, instead, the shape traced by the movement of the pronoun crosses the center of the signer’s body, it is understood as inclusive (‘I, you (and others)’). The examples below illustrate both possibilities.
First person exclusive First person inclusive
plural pronoun plural pronoun
y/n
a) past self ixloc restaurant ix1pl-excl food share, now want ix1+2-incl share.
‘The other day we (‘I and others, not you’) came to this restaurant and we shared the food, do you want us (‘you and I’) to share (the food)?’
b) now on day-calendar responsible ix1pl-incl
‘We (‘I and you.pl’) are now in charge of the calendar.’
The dual pronoun may also indicate reference to a set conformed by the speaker and the addressee (inclusive meaning) or by the speaker and other person, not the addressee (‘I and other, not you’). When the pronoun is inclusive, the head and the eye gaze are aligned with the movement traced by the sign, as in (a) below. If, on the contrary, the head and the eye gaze are oriented towards a different direction of that traced by the movement, the pronoun conveys the exclusive meaning, as in examples (b) and (c).
a) ix2 ix1 ix3 tomorrow go conference, ix1+2 prepare.
‘You, I and he/she will go to a conference tomorrow. We (‘you and I) will prepare it.’
b) ix2 ix1 ix3 tomorrow go conference, ix1+3 prepare.
‘You, I and he/she will go to a conference tomorrow. We (‘he/she and I’) will prepare it.’
c) tomorrow go conference alexandraa ix1 gemmab, prepare ix1+3a.
‘Alexandra, Gemma and I will go to a conference tomorrow. We (‘Alexandra and I’) will prepare it.’