A Grammar of Italian Sign Language (LIS)

Classifier constructions, as extensively explored in (MORPHOLOGY 5), are morphologically complex structures consisting of a handshape that can be associated to a movement to provide information about location and motion of referents. Classifier handshapes denote both animate and inanimate entities by depicting their external characteristics of size and shape, their semantic category, how they are handled or manipulated. The handshapes functioning as classifiers in LIS are selected from the phonological inventory of LIS (PHONOLOGY 1.1). Classifier constructions can exploit the signing space in an isomorphic manner in order to define spatial information about the referents they denote. In other words, they are used to locate referents as they are in the real word. We provide two examples below. In (a) the classifier conveys the position of one entity in space, whereas in (b) the two classifiers define the position of two entities simultaneously. Specifically, in (b) the non-dominant hand functions as point of reference and of location for the entity denoted by the dominant hand (the right one). The locative function is fulfilled by associating specific loci of the signing space, which correspond to loci in the real space, to the entities involved.

            a.        window                            CL(unspread 5): ‘window_be_located’

            ‘The window is there.’

            b.       dom:    cup           CL(F): ‘cup_be_located’

                      n-dom:                 CL(unspread 5): ‘table’

            ‘The cup is on the table.’

In so doing, classifier constructions are visually motivated. However, it is important to stress that classifier constructions are not pantomime, rather, their use is regulated by linguistic constraints. Indeed, classifier handshapes combine with verbs of motion or location and the resulting predicate depends on the classifier handshape selected (see SYNTAX 2.1.1.5 and MORPHOLOGY 5.1 for details).