3.4.2. Epistemic modality
The non-manuals used in epistemic modality in LSC seem to depend on the degree of certainty. When the degree of certainty is high some non-manuals are the same as those used with some deontic modals (furrowed eyebrows, head thrust or intense repeated head nod). By contrast, when the degree of certainty is low, other non-manuals appear, like raised eyebrows, backwards head tilt, or shoulders up. In what follows different non-manuals accompanying modal markers of epistemicity in LSC are shown.
The modal sign for_sure is used to express the higher degree of certainty about an event. This sign is accompanied by the mouthing /seguro/, and a headshake that is combined with a forward head tilt and a forward body lean, as shown in the example below.
hs
/seguro/
yesterday argue_rec, today there_is_not for_sure angry.
‘We argued yesterday, so today he/she didn’t come because he/she must be angry.’
The signs clear and evident also express a high degree of certainty and are articulated along with a repeated slow head nod plus the mouthing /claro/ in the case of the modal clear or mouth gesture [pprr] in the case of the modal evident. The non-manuals may spread over the fragment of speech that is evaluated, as shown in (a) below.
fe,hn
[pprr]
a) exam ix evident copy ix.
‘It is obvious that he/she copied in the exam.’
hn
/claro/
b) exam copy see clear.
‘It is clear that he/she copied in the exam.’
The sign seem expresses a lower degree of certainty in comparison to for_sure. It is coarticulated with furrowed eyebrows, the mouthing of the Spanish word /parece/ and a head nod.
fe, hn
/parece/
seem sun.
‘It seems that it will be sunny.’
Lastly, the epistemic modals possibly/can and maybe are expressed along with shoulders up, raised eyebrows, chin up/backwards head tilt, as shown below. Most of these non-manuals may spread over the whole clause, like shown in the examples below, except for the head nod which is only coarticulated with the modal.
hn
su, re, cu, ht-b
a) exam pass possibly/can.
‘Maybe he/she passes the exam.’
hn
su, re, cu, ht-b
b) tomorrow rain maybe.
‘Maybe it rains tomorrow.’