A Grammar of German Sign Language (DGS)

1.2.3.7. Doubling of the wh-sign

As already shown in Syntax 1.2.3.5., doubling of wh-signs is possible in DGS. The function of wh-sign doubling is emphasis.

 

                                                                 wh

         why ix2 ix(dem)a clothing like why

         ‘Why do you like these clothes?’

 

 

 

Not only simple wh-signs can be doubled, but also more complex wh-constructions such as seen in the example below. In content interrogatives with doubled wh-signs, the non-manual markers spread over the whole sentence.

 

                                                                    wh

         how_exactly go party how_exactly

         ‘How exactly did the party go?’

 

Doubling constructions emphasize request towards the interlocutor to get a response to the question.

 

List of editors

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

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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.