In disjunction, the different manual markers found [SYNTAX 3.1.2.1.3], even though they are not coordinators by themselves, can occupy different positions in the sentence. We will describe in order palm-up, doubt, either-one and which.
palm-up can be found repeated at the beginning of each conjunct, as in example (a), used once between the two conjuncts (b) and at the beginning (c) or at the end (d) of the two conjuncts. The different positions of palm-up do not involve different interpretations.
lcd
bl-left bl-right
a) marina palm-up home go palm-up school stay.
‘Marina does not know whether to go home or stay at school.’
(© Giorgia Zorzi 2018. Reprinted with permission from Zorzi, 2018b: 129)
re lcd
bl-left /o/ bl-right
b) marinaj friend ix(poss)j car rent cl: ‘rent’ palm-up bus public use.
‘Marina’s friend will rent a car or use the public bus.’
(© Giorgia Zorzi 2018. Reprinted with permission from Zorzi, 2018b: 129)
bl-left /o/ bl-right /cuál/
c) marina palm-up house go school stay either-one.
‘Marina went home or stayed at school, which one.’
(© Giorgia Zorzi 2018. Reprinted with permission from Zorzi, 2018b: 130)
sq
bl-right, ht-right ht-left, bl-left lcd, hs
d) think list-1-ixa marina cake bake list-2-ixb marc cake knead palm-up.
‘I think that, one, Marina baked a cake or, two, Marc kneaded a cake (I do not know).’
(© Giorgia Zorzi 2018. Reprinted with permission from Zorzi, 2018b: 130)
doubt, when used, can also take different positions in the sentence, which affects the meaning of the sentence with respect to the attribution of the knowledge state of doubt or uncertainty to either the speaker or to another referent.
In the following examples, the different positions and corresponding meanings that doubt can take are presented:
i) at the beginning of the sentence: reference to the knowledge state of the speaker;
lcd
bl-right /o/ bl-right
doubt list-2-ixa marina pasta knead[contra] list-2-ixb marc cake prepare.
‘I have a doubt whether Marina kneaded pasta or Marc prepared a cake.’
(© Giorgia Zorzi 2018. Reprinted with permission from Zorzi, 2018b: 131)
ii) after a referent: reference to the knowledge state of that referent, also when used under role shift [SYNTAX 3.3.3];
lcd
bl-left /o/ bl-right
a) marina doubt list-2-ixa [pizza knead][contra] list-2-ixb [cake prepare][ipsi].
‘Marina doesn’t know if she will knead a pizza or prepare a cake.’
(© Giorgia Zorzi 2018. Reprinted with permission from Zorzi, 2018b: 131)
rs
re bl-left /o/ bl-right
b) marinaj doubt ix1-j go home stay.
‘Marina whether to go home or to stay.’
(© Giorgia Zorzi 2018. Reprinted with permission from Zorzi, 2018b: 131)
iii) at the end of the two constituents: it is ambiguous. Depending on the context and on the non-manual markers it can refer to the knowledge state of the referent or of the speaker, as in (a), but inside role shift there is no ambiguity, it can only refer to the knowledge state of the referent, as in (b).
bl-left bl-right lcd, fe
a) marina pizza eat icecream buy doubt.
‘I don’t know if Marina ate pizza or bought ice-cream.’
(© Giorgia Zorzi 2018. Reprinted with permission from Zorzi, 2018b: 132)
rs
bl-left bl-right
b) marinaj ix1-j home stay go doubt.
‘Marina doubted whether to stay home or to go.’
(© Giorgia Zorzi 2018. Reprinted with permission from Zorzi, 2018b: 132)
either-one can appear at the beginning or at the end of the two conjuncts, as in the examples below, where also clauses co-occurring with role shift are included in the sentence. either-one, when used in a question, can also be repeated at the beginning and at the end of the two conjuncts, as in (c). Moreover, the different positions of either-one do not affect the meaning of the sentence.
rs, fe
re bl-left bl-right
a) marina either-one home stay go?
‘Marina (thought) “Either I/you stay at home or do I/you leave?’
(© Giorgia Zorzi 2018. Reprinted with permission from Zorzi, 2018b: 134)
bl-left /o/ bl-right [kwal]
b) marina palm-up house go school stay either-one.
‘Marina went home or stayed at school, which one.’
(© Giorgia Zorzi 2018. Reprinted with permission from Zorzi, 2018b: 134)
fe
re bl-left bl-right
c) marina either-one home stay go either-one?
‘Marina (thought) “Do I/you stay at home or do I/you leave?”’
(© Giorgia Zorzi 2018. Reprinted with permission from Zorzi, 2018b: 134)
which, instead, is found at the end of the sentence, as in (a), but if used to introduce the two conjuncts, then it is necessary to use it under role shift, as in (b).
lcd
bl-left bl-right
a) marina palm-up house go school stay which.
‘Marina either went home or stayed at school.’
(© Giorgia Zorzi 2018. Reprinted with permission from Zorzi, 2018b: 135)
rs, fe, lcd
bl-right bl-left
b) marina which school stay home go.
‘Marina (thought) “Should I stay at home or I go to school?”.’
(© Giorgia Zorzi 2018. Reprinted with permission from Zorzi, 2018b: 135)
Finally, the-2alternate is preferably used at the end of the sentence, as in (a) below, but it can also be used in front of the two conjuncts, as in (b). It is never placed at the beginning of the sentence.
re bl-right, ht-right /o/ bl-left, ht-left lcd
a) marina pizza knead ice-cream buy the-2alternate.
‘Marina either kneaded pizza or bought ice-cream.’
(© Giorgia Zorzi 2018. Reprinted with permission from Zorzi, 2018b: 136)
re bl-right /o/ bl-left
b) marina the-2alternate pizza knead ice-cream buy.
‘Marina either kneaded pizza or bought ice-cream.’
(© Giorgia Zorzi 2018. Reprinted with permission from Zorzi, 2018b: 136)