A Grammar of German Sign Language (DGS)

Signing space can also function to convey temporal information. Time lines [Morphology 3.2.1], which are projected onto the signing space are utilized at the lexical as well as discourse level to express tense information mainly via adverbials. Among these time lines the basic time line, which stretches starting from the shoulder of the dominant hand and forward, lies vertical in relation to the torso of the signer. In this time line the point of the reference is the locus of the body, which deictically refers to the utterance time. In DGS, time information is generally expressed by temporal adverbs [Syntax 6.4.2] at the beginning of the sentence.

 

For expression of the present, adverbs are produced close to the body of the signer, for the future, adverbs are directed forwards while for the past, adverbs are realized through backward path movement. All three time periods are illustrated in the examples below.

 

a.         today1                             

 

 

 

b. today2 

 

 

 

 

c.  now1 

 

 

 

 

d. now2 

 

 

 

e. soon

 

 f.        tomorrow1      

            

 

 

g. tomorrow2

 

h. two_days_later1 

 

 

 

i. two_days_later2

 

 

j.         just               

 

 

 

k. yesterday1

 

 

 

 

l. yesterday2

 

 

 

 

m. the_day_before_yesterday1 

 

 

 

 

 

n. the_day_before_yesterday2

 

 

 

 

 

(based on Papaspyrou et al., 2008: 149-151)

 

Another time line projected onto the signing space is thesequence time line, an abstract line that expands either across the lateral axis in the left-right direction or the saggital axis in the front-to-back direction, the choice of the axis is mainly stylistic. Successive periods of time for temporal elements such as hours, weeks, months and years are expressed with respect to a particular reference point on this time line.

 

a.         before (sagittal axis)

 

 

 

 

b.         before (lateral axis)

 

 

 

(recreated from Papaspyrou et al., 2008: 15)