1.2.1.1. Non-manual markers in polar interrogatives
Non-manual marking is the key marking device in LSC which distinguishes polar interrogatives from declaratives. The difference between neutral non-manual marking and polar interrogative non-manual marking can be observed in the figures of the following example.
y/n
ix2bread eat
‘Do you eat bread?’
Resting position eat
(© Sara Cañas Peña 2015. Reprinted with permission from Cañas-Peña, 2015: 26)
The non-manual marking for LSC polar interrogatives usually involves a combination of the following features.
- Raised eyebrows
- Wide open eyes
- Direct gaze to the addressee
- Forward and downward head position (a slight sideway position can be added)
- Forward body position
Due to pragmatic factors, the non-manual marking of polar interrogatives in LSC can experience a change in several of its components. When signers want to express doubt, skepticism, disbelief or surprise, regarding the content of the interrogative, they may replace some of the non-manual marking features presented above with the following ones.
- Furrowed eyebrows (typical of content interrogatives)
- Squinted eyes
- Raised chin
- Tucked downwards chin
- Slight head nod
- Backward body posture
Whatever the resulting combination is, the eyebrow movement (raising or furrowing) and the direct eye gaze towards the addressee are the most prominent non-manual marking features. See the different combinations of eyebrow movements in polar interrogatives in the following examples.
re
a) ix2 holiday go
‘Are you going on holiday?’
ix2 holiday go
fe
b) ix2 holiday go
‘Are you going on holiday?’
ix2 holiday go
(© Sara Cañas Peña 2015. Reprinted with permission from Cañas-Peña, 2015: 31)
The signer uses the raised eyebrows feature to ask a friend who, the signer knows, loves to travel, whether he is going to go on holidays. The expected answer is, therefore, closer to ‘yes’. On the other hand, the use of furrowed eyebrows is showing the skepticism of the signer: he really doubts and finds strange that his friend is going to go on holidays, maybe because that friend does not really like to travel, and our signer is aware of this information.
LSC signers preferably use furrowed eyebrows for marking a polar interrogative when it appears right after a topicalized element [PRAGMATICS 4.3]. Note that non-manual marking features involved in topicalization are quite similar to those of polar interrogatives (the raised eyebrows being the most outstanding feature). Consistently changing the eyebrow movement, LSC signers clearly distinguish the topic elements from the interrogative clause.
top fe
a) this night ix2 home stay
‘As for tonight, are you staying home?’
(recreated from Quer et al., 2005)
top fe
b) ix1 book ix2 read already
‘As for my book, have you already read it?’
(© Sara Cañas Peña 2015. Reprinted with permission from Cañas-Peña, 2015: 33)
In terms of the intensity, non-manual markers tend to be more conspicuous toward the end of the sentence.
re
paris capital_city france
‘Is Paris the capital city of France?’
paris capital_city france
(© Sara Cañas Peña 2015. Reprinted with permission from Cañas-Peña, 2015: 27)
Raised eyebrows occur throughout the whole sentence, and eye contact is held with the addressee. Body and head move forward during the sentence realization: the culmination of their position is found at the end of the clause; even sideways head position is more prominent at the end of the sentence.
The scope of the non-manual marking in LSC polar interrogatives is usually the whole clause: the non-manual marking has its onset at the very beginning of the clause and extends until the end. Polar interrogatives where the non-manual marking features only take scope over the last components of the sentence are also common in LSC.
y/n
a) ix2 bread eat
‘Do you eat bread?’
y/n
b) ix2 bread eat
‘Do you eat bread?’ [WAITING FOR THE VIDEO]
(© Sara Cañas Peña 2015. Reprinted with permission from Cañas-Peña, 2015: 34)
However, it is not possible to utter a polar interrogative with non-manual marking features just taking scope over the first components of the sentence: the last component needs to be always marked through non-manual marking features.