A Grammar of German Sign Language (DGS)

3.7.2.6. Honorific pronouns

Honorific status [Pragmatics 1.1.2]indicating respect or distance between the two signers can be marked on pronominal pointing signs. In particular, a difference between second person singular formal and informal forms is expressed non-manually through the position of the body. Second person formal pronouns are produced with a slight backward lean of the body while second person informal pronouns are not accompanied with this non-manual.

 

a.         ix2[proximal]

                

b.         ix2[distal]

                

 

Another honorific pronoun which is rarely used in DGS and is mainly influenced by the spoken German is signed with a 2-handshape. The pointing direction of the thumb indicates the person of a higher status.

            ix2[honorific]      

 

           

List of editors

Sina Proske, Derya Nuhbalaoglu, Annika Herrmann, Jana Hosemann & Markus Steinbach

Copyright info

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 License.
For details go to https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/licensing-examples/#by-nc-sa

Bibliographical reference for citation

The entire grammar:
Branchini, Chiara and Lara Mantovan (eds.). 2020. A Grammar of Italian Sign Language (LIS). 1st ed. (SIGN-HUB Sign Language Grammar Series). (http://sign-hub.eu/grammars/...) (Accessed 31-10-2021)

A Chapter:
Smith, Mary. 2020. Syntax: 3. Coordination and Subordination. In Branchini, Chiara and Lara Mantovan (eds.), A Grammar of Italian Sign Language (LIS). 1st ed. (SIGN-HUB Sign Language Grammar Series), 230-237. ((http://sign-hub.eu/grammars/...) (Accessed 31-10-2021)

A Section:
Smith, Mary. 2020. Phonology: 1.1.1.2. Finger configuration. In Mary, Smith, Ben Smith and Carlo Smith (eds.), A Grammar of Catalan Sign Language (LSC). 1st ed. (SIGN-HUB Sign Language Grammar Series), 230-237. (http://sign-hub.eu/grammars/...) (Accessed 31-10-2021)

Smith, Mary. 2020. Syntax: 3.1.2.1.3. Manual markers in disjunctive coordination. In Mary, Smith, Ben Smith and Carlo Smith (eds.), A Grammar of Catalan Sign Language (LSC). 1st edn. (SIGN-HUB Sign Language Grammar Series), 230-237. (http://sign-hub.eu/grammars/...) (Accessed 31-10-2021)

europe-flagThis project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant Agreement No 693349.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike4.0 License.