A Grammar of Italian Sign Language (LIS)

Turn-yielding signals have the function of informing the dialogical partner that the turn-holder is ready to pass over the turn. Various elements may be involved in conveying such message, both manual and non-manual (PRAGMATICS 5). As for manually produced signals, discourse particles can be used with the function of marking the conclusion of a turn. In the example below, the discourse particle anymore fulfils the function of marking the end of the communicative turn.

         ix₁ document everything ix_{1 1}CL(flat open 5): ‘give’₃ done anymore

         ‘I gave (them) all the document, that’s enough.’

The signer can also display variation in the speed and the amplitude of the signing, for example reducing the speed of signing and the signing space. In this way, the partner is encouraged to take the turn. An example of this strategy is reported below: in the first part of the utterance (from the beginning to CL(unspread 5): ‘search_pockets’) the rate of signingis high, but it clearly decreases in the final part of the sentence (from the sign backpack to the end).

         ix₁ be_scared ix₁ bus ix₁ CL(curved open V): ‘get_on’ ix₃ man control ticket. ix₁ pocket empty CL(unspread 5): ‘search_pockets’. backpack ix₁ CL(flat closed 5): ‘grab_ticket’ then ₁give₃ validate₃ ix₁ relax

         ‘I was scared, as soon as I got on the bus, the inspector was controlling the tickets.   I looked for my ticket, but my pockets were empty. I looked in the backpack, I found it! I gave it to the inspector. He validated it and I felt relieved.’