In LIS, the lexical sign hearing is also used in context where the identity of the discourse referent is neither known nor close to the signer, as shown in the example below.
museum enter free_of_charge be_able hearing 3report1
‘Someone told me that you can get into the museum for free.’
In LIS, some manual signs seem to accompany and mark specificity by using different spatial locations. A specific interpretation arises, for example, when signs are realised in the lower frontal plane of the signing space.
frienda some[down]a hide
‘Some friends were hiding.’
On the contrary, when non-anchored common nouns or plain verbs refer to non-specific discourse referents, they may be realised in the upper frontal plane. The example below shows a non-specific reading: neither the signer nor the addressee know the identity of the liars.
palm_up ix[up]a lie someone[up]a person++[up]a friendb poss1 adenounceb
‘Some liars have denounced a friend of mine.’