Headshake in DGS typically spreads onto constituents preceding the predicate of a sentence, and strictly remains within the domain of predicative noun phrases [Syntax 4] or verb phrases [Syntax 2]. DGS examples of negated sentences below show how the headshake on the verbal predicates buy and drink spread over the direct objects flower and coffee.
hs
a. ix3a woman flower buy
‘This woman does not buy a flower.’
(based on Pfau, 2008: 62)
hs
b. t-i-m coffee drink
‘Tim does not drink coffee.’
(based on Happ & Vorköper, 2006: 371)
Headshake usually does not spread over subject constituents, but in cases where the subject appears as a pronoun, the headshake may spread onto it. The same spreading pattern can be seen in conditional clauses [Syntax 3.5.1] when the part of the clause denoting consequence is negated. See DGS examples below for a headshake spreading over the entire sentence.
a. hs
ix3a flower buy
‘She does not buy a flower.’
(based on Pfau, 2008: 62)
hs
b. if ix2 voice practice, (ix2) exam fail
‘If you practice voicing, you won’t fail the interpreting exams.’
(based on Happ & Vorköper, 2006: 456)