A Grammar of Italian Sign Language (LIS)

Orientation defines the relation between hand(s) and location. More specifically, it indicates which part of the hand is directed toward the place of articulation. Active articulators include six sides: i) palm, ii) back, iii) ulnar, iv) radial, v) wrist, and vi) fingertip side. The six sides of the hand relevant to orientation are illustrated below.

 

            

            Figure: Orientations

 

Two cases need to be distinguished: signs articulated on the body and signs articulated in neutral space. In signs articulated in a location on the signer's body, orientation consists in the side of the hand facing that location. For example, the sign dear is produced on the cheek. The orientation of this sign is palm because the hand faces the cheek with the palm of hand side.

 

            

            dear (palm)

 

The same approach is adopted for signs articulated on the non-dominant hand. For example, in the sign wound the orientation is ulnar because the dominant hand faces the non-dominant one with the ulnar side.

 

            

            wound (ulnar)

 

In the case of signs articulated in the neutral space, orientation consists in the side of the hand pointing in the direction of the endpoint of the movement. For example, the orientation of the sign street is tips because the fingertip side of the articulators face the end of the movement trajectory of the sign.

 

            street (tips)

 

Orientation can be phonologically contrastive. The following pairs of signs show minimal contrasts with respect to orientation: correct - measure (wrist vs. ulnar), compliment - evidence (palm vs. back), and house - door (tips vs. radial).

 

 

            a.         correct (wrist)

 

 

            b.         measure (ulnar) 

 

 

            c.         compliment (palm)

           

 

 

            d.         evidence (back)

 

 

            e.         house (tips)

 

 

            f.          door (radial)

 

A few signs allow for two lexical variants produced with different orientation. For example, the sign programme is a two-handed sign in which the dominant hand can touch the non-dominant one either with the radial (a) or ulnar side (b).

 

            

            a.         programme (radial)

 

            

            b.         programme (ulnar)

 

The articulation of some signs involves a hand-internal movement resulting in a change in orientation (PHONOLOGY 1.3.2).