1.4.2. Partial exclamatives

In many spoken languages, partial exclamatives exhibit a wh-element occupying the same position it occupies in wh-interrogative sentences.

         In LIS, a manual wh-morpheme has not been identified, as the different wh-signs do not share a common value for any formational parameter. What identifies wh-signs as a natural class is their grammatical function, their distribution in the clause and a specific non-manual marker, that is, furrowed eyebrows.  Partial exclamative sentences in LIS are produced with furrowed eyebrows, as shown in the examples below.

 

 

 

                                                    fe

           mess emphatic_gesture

         โ€˜What a mess!โ€™

 

For further details on wh-questions see SYNTAX 1.2.3.