A Grammar of Italian Sign Language (LIS)

The sign same helps the transmission of the concessive meaning. It is often produced after the concessive clause, as the first (a) or second (b) sign of the main clause.

 

 

 

                                         sq

                                         re

         a.         man blind same pasta cook be_able        

         ‘Although the man is blind, he can cook pasta.’

 

 

 

                                        …………...……re

         b.         l-u-c-a_a ix_a cat allergy ix_b maria same cat buy

         ‘Although Luca is allergic to cats, Maria buys one.’

 

We can say that the sign same belongs to the sentence-final clause expressing the state of affairs against which the concessive clause is contrasted, on the basis of the spreading of the non-manual markings. In the examples above, the non-manual markings only spread over the sentence-initial concessive clause, but not over the sign same.

The sign same can also be produced at the end of the main clause, as shown below.

 

                                             re

         l-u-c-a cat allergy maria cat buy same

         ‘Although Luca is allergic to cats, Maria buys one.’

 

However, the presence of the sign same in concessive clauses is not obligatory, as shown by the following sentences in which an abrupt change in non-manual-marking signals the transition from the clause that expresses a concession to the following clause.

 

 

 

                                          re

         a.         man short play basketball ix₃ be_able

         ‘Although that man is short, he can play basketball.’

 

 

 

                                                                                                          re

         b.           ix_a gabriele ix_a month march ix_3a engaged wedding_b poss_{1 a}come_b

         ‘Although Gabriele is busy in March, he will come to my wedding.’

 

Superficially, concessive clauses are very similar to concessive conditionals, as shown by the concessive clause (a) and the concessive conditional (b) reported below. However, while the non-manual markings spreading over the concessive conditional are stronger, they seem to be less intense over the adverbial concessive clause.

 

 

 

                           …………...…………re

         a.         maria pineapple hate same eat all

         ‘Even though Maria hates pineapple, she has eaten all (the cake).’

 

 

 

                                                                    re

         b.         maria ix_a pineapple hate cake poss₁ eat all same

         ‘Even if Maria hated pineapple, she would eat all my cake.’

 

It should be noted that another way to express the concessive meaning is through adversative coordination (SYNTAX 3.1). In the following sentences, the sign but establishes a contrast between the first and the second clause.

 

 

 

         a.         l-u-c-a_a ix_a cat allergy exist but ix_b maria buy cat

         ‘Luca is allergic to cats, but Maria buys one.’

 

 

 

         b.         woman arm++ exist.not but be_able put_signature paint dance only feet palm_back

         ‘This woman does not have arms, but she can put a signature, dance, and paint only with her feet.’

 

In adversative coordination, the sign but and the sign same (with the meaning ‘just the same’) can co-exist. The sign same can either follow the sign but (a) or be produced at the end of the sentence-final clause (b).

 

 

 

         a.         woman arm++ exist.not but same put_signature paint dance only feet palm_back

         ‘This woman does not have arms but, nonetheless, she can put a signature, dance, and paint only with her feet.’

 

 

 

 

         b.         l-u-c-a_a ix_a cat allergy exist but maria cat buy same

         ‘Luca is allergic to cats, but Maria buys one just the same.’      

 

Notice that the optional position of the sign same at the end of the sentence-final clause is also found in concessive conditionals, as shown in the example repeated below.

 

 

 

                                                      re

         maria ix_a pineapple hate cake poss₁ eat all same

         ‘Even if Maria hated pineapple, she would eat all my cake.’