A Grammar of Italian Sign Language (LIS)

Some disyllabic signs, i.e. signs with two movements, do not display repeated movement over the same location, rather they require a displacement of the hand(s) from one location to another. As a result of a phonological process known as syllable reanalysis, the transitional movement between the two locations may be reanalysed as the only movement of the sign.

            To illustrate, the citation form of the LIS two-handed sign institute is articulated as two F handshapes realising two short path movements: the first one ends with final contact on the higher torso, the second one with final contact on the lower torso. As shown in the video below, this location change is made possible by a transitional downward movement.

            institute (citation form)      

            (based on Geraci, 2009: 16)

In the reanalysed version of institute, the transitional movement between higher and lower torso becomes the only movement of the sign. As a consequence of the deletion of repeated movement, the sign is reanalysed as monosyllabic.

            institute (reanalysed form) 

            (based on Geraci, 2009: 16)