LIS full relative clauses display a manual sign (glossed pe in the examples) spatially agreeing with the head noun. The sign pe is produced with only the index finger extended (configuration G in LIS) in the neutral space. During its movement, the wrist twists from a position of the hand with the palm facing the face of the signer to a position of the hand whose palm faces the signer’s interlocutor, as illustrated in the video below. During the production of the sign, oral components involving the production of a bilabial phoneme such as /p/ are produced, hence the gloss pe (LEXICON 3.7.6).
pe
When the head noun is an abstract entity or when it is a noun produced on the body of the signer (LEXICON 3.1), the relativisation sign pe agrees with an arbitrary point in the signing space, as shown in the example below.
rel
[p-a-o-l-o m-a-r-i-a idea suggest pe] important
‘The idea that Paolo suggested to Maria is important.’ (recreated from Branchini, 2014: 193)
As already pointed out (SYNTAX 3.4.1), LIS free relatives display the presence of a wh-sign. However, not all wh-signs are allowed to mark the relative clause in LIS free relatives. The table below lists the wh-signs permitted or not permitted in this type of construction.
Table: Wh-signs allowed in LIS free relatives
|
Wh-signs |
Availability to mark LIS free relatives |
|
who |
yes |
|
what |
no |
|
which |
yes |
|
how |
yes |
|
how_many |
no |
|
where |
yes |
|
when |
yes |
|
why |
yes |
As shown in the table above, all wh-signs except what and how_many can be used in LIS free relatives. The examples below exemplify free relatives with the different wh-signs available to mark this construction in LIS.
rel
a. [exam done who] go_away be_able
‘Who has taken the exam can go out.’ (Branchini, 2009: 104)
rel
b. [p-a-o-l-o like which] ix1 see done
‘I saw which Paolo likes.’ (Branchini, 2009: 105)
rel
c. [g-i-a-n-n-i3 money 3give1 how] ix1 like not
‘I don’t like how Gianni gives me the money.’ (Branchini, 2009: 106)
rel
d. [sister poss1 holiday go where] beautiful
‘Where my sister went on holiday is beautiful.’ (Branchini, 2009: 106)
rel
e. [train arrive when] ix1 read done
‘I read when the train arrives.’
rel
f. [p-a-o-l-o leave why] ix1 find_out
‘I found out why Paolo left.’ (Branchini, 2009: 106)