The LSC numeral lexicon derives from finger counting, so cardinal numerals from zero to ten are displayed using the fingers of the two manual articulators. The zero sign is articulated by the contact of the thumb with the index fingers forming a circle. This sign intends to reproduce the shape of the zero numeral in the Hindu-Arabic numeral written system.
zero
(based on Fuentes & Tolchinsky, 2004: 97)
one is signed with the index finger extended, as in the image below. zero and one to nine signs do not display any movement. They are held in the signing space in front of the signer. ten, instead, shows a repeated movement when the thumbs of both hands get in contact.
a) one
b) two
(based on Fuentes & Tolchinsky, 2004: 97)
c) three
d) four
e) five
f) six
g) seven
h) eight
i) nine
j) ten
Numerals above five can be signed in two different ways: one handed or two handed. For instance, seven can be signed either with the dominant hand facing outwards with the thumb and the index fingers extended, or with two hands also facing outwards, the dominant one with the thumb and the index fingers extended, and the passive one with all five fingers extended.
a) one-handed seven
b) two-handed seven
In the one-handed forms orientation is crucial because the meaning of the numeral can change depending on this parameter. For example, the sign three and the sign eight can only be distinguished by the orientation of the palm. If it faces the body of the signer the sign means three; instead, if the palm faces outwards, it means eight.
a) three
b) Image of eight
(based on Fuentes & Tolchinsky, 2004: 99)
In the two-handed version of signs above five the tendency is to face outwards. However, studies do not show complete consistency in its use.
The location of all signs is the same: they are articulated in the signing space in front of the signer at chest height.
There are also some operators that are used to express ‘hundred’, ‘thousand’, and ‘million’. The use of this operator is optional for hundreds, but obligatory for the rest of numerals listed before.
a) hundred (with operator)
(based on Fuentes & Tolchinsky, 2004: 100)
b) thousand
(based on Fuentes & Tolchinsky, 2004: 112)
c) million
If the operator is absent, as for tens and sometimes for hundreds, the meaning of the numeral is inferred by the order of articulation (from contralateral to ipsilateral side of space), as shown in the image below.
one_zero_zero (no operator)
(based on Fuentes & Tolchinsky, 2004: 100)
The use of zero to show multiples often is obligatory, as there is no specialized operator.
twenty
In numerals from twelve (one-two) to fifteen (one-five), the transitional movement from the first to the second digit is quicker than the one displayed in the rest of numerals of the tens’ order. The number twenty-one (two-one) is also an exception and is articulated bending the middle finger from the sign two twice.
If both tens and units have a value above or below five, the orientation of the palm remains the same. Instead, if the value of the unit is above five and the value of the ten is below five (or vice-versa) there is a change in orientation during the articulation of the sign. For instance, the number twenty-eight is articulated first signing two (which faces the body of the signer), and then signing eight (which faces outwards), as shown in the image below. Thus, there is an internal movement that changes the direction of the palm, which occurs during the articulation of the sign twenty-eight.
twenty-eight
In LSC, temporal expressions, pronouns, and some verbs and classifier constructions can incorporate numerals through a change in the handshape to indicate quantity.
For temporal expressions, the signs hour, week, month and year can incorporate a numeral and show quantity, as exemplified in the examples below.
a) 8_hour
b) 4_week
c) 7_month
d) two_years
Numerals can also be incorporated in pronouns in order to express plural referents, as shown below [LEXICON 3.7.2.2]. The numeral is incorporated into pronouns with plural referents in order to indicate the exact number of persons.
a) 2_of_us
b) four_of_you
Some verbs in LSC also allow to incorporate numerals by changing its handshape form. For example, the verbs lack and give allow for modification of the handshape to show quantity.
a) lack_3
b) give_8
Finally, some classifier constructions also allow this type of modification of their basic handshape incorporating the numeral to express plurality. The handshape of the classifier must be the index (B) in order to enable handshape modification by adding other numerals, as in the examples below.
a) yesterday person one cl(B): ‘person aproacching’.
‘A person came up to me yesterday.’
b) yesterday person+ two cl(Y): ‘two persons aproacching’.
‘Two persons came up to me yesterday.’
c) yesterday person++ three cl(j): ‘three persons aproacching’.
‘Three persons came up to me yesterday.’
d) yesterday person+ four cl(v): ‘four persons aproacching’.
‘Four persons came up to me yesterday.’
e) yesterday person+ five cl(>): ‘five persons aproacching’.
‘Five persons came up to me yesterday’
f) ix1 t-shirt one cl(B): ‘onehorizontal stripe’ buy already.
‘I bought a t-shirt with a horizontal stripe on the front.’
g) ix1 t-shirt two cl(Y): ‘two horizontal stripes’ buy already.
‘I bought a t-shirt with two horizontal stripes on the front.’
h) ix1 t-shirt three cl(j): ‘three horizontal stripes’ buy already.
‘I bought a t-shirt with three horizontal stripes on the front.’
i) ix1 t-shirt four cl(v): ‘four horizontal stripes’ buy already.
‘I bought a t-shirt with four horizontal stripes on the front.’
(examples a-i recreated from Quer et al., 2005)