Topics in the Grammar of French Sign Language (LSF)

Just like other nominals, relative clauses in LSF appear in the canonical matrix position corresponding to the argumental position they occupy, as shown in the examples below. Hence, a relative clause constructed over the subject of the main verb will be found in subject position (a.) while a relative clause modifying the object of the main verb is in object position (b.).

                  rel

       a.dog [ pi today play with cat] run fast                  Subject

       ‘The dog who plays with the cat today runs fast.’

                                rel

       b.ix₁ prefer vet [pi cure dog]                               Object

       ‘I prefer the vet who cures the dog.’                                      (Hauser, 2019:63)

Non canonical order are also attested, for example when the relative clause is topicalised. In this case, the set of non-manual markers typical of topics (raised eyebrows and chin up) spreads over the whole relative. An example is provided below with the head noun in bold and the relative clause between square brackets.

                       top

               rel

       [dog pi sleep ] ix₁ prefer

       ‘The dog that sleeps, I prefer it.’                 (Hauser, 2019:63)