A Grammar of German Sign Language (DGS)

Relative clauses [Syntax 3.4.] are marked with various different strategies in DGS, among those are relative pronouns, word order, manual and non-manual markers. There are two relative pronouns in DGS, one is used for human referents and the other for non-human referents. The relative pronoun for humans is realized with B -handshape (also a classifier handshape for humans in DGS), while the relative pronoun for non-human entities has H -handshape. Relative pronouns are accompanied with eyebrow raise, which is also used to mark topics in DGS [Pragmatics 4.3.2.]. These pronouns are not marked for number and can agree with loci associated with the referents they co-refer with. The examples of relative pronouns in DGS are given below.

                               re

a.         man ix_3a ix(B) cat stroke beautiful 

            ‘The man, who is stroking the cat, is handsome’

(based on Pfau & Steinbach, 2005: 512)


 

                            re

b.         book ix(H) poss₁father read interesting

            ‘The book, which my father reads, is interesting.’

(based on Pfau & Steinbach, 2005: 512)