The habitual aspect indicates an action as being a habit that is usually repeated.
a) past ix1 kid 3punish1+++.
‘When I was a kid, they punished me.’
(recreated from Quer et al., 2005)
b) ix1 know+++ class cl(b): ‘people in a cercle’ ix student one ix complain+++.
‘There is usually some student complaining in the class.’
(recreated from Quer et al., 2005)
This aspect type is expressed by reduplication of the verb stem, as illustrated in the examples above and below.
a) 3punish1+++.
‘To punish habitually.’
(recreated from Quer et al., 2005)
b) complain+++.
‘To complain habitually.’
(recreated from Quer et al., 2005)
In order to distinguish habitual aspect from a regular plural (which can also be expressed through reduplication) there are some phonological characteristics that must be taken into account:
- A slower execution of the sign.
- Same initial and final location in each reduplication.
- The execution of the sign is accompanied by a rhythmic head movement
- Facial expression with either furrowed eyebrows and lips or rhythmic jaw movements.
Moreover, all these markers that denote habitual aspect are frequently (although not always) accompanied by manual signs [LEXICON 3.3.2].