2.1.2.1. Overt noun phrases
One can express the arguments of a transitive or intransitive predicate overtly. Below, the signer overtly expresses the single argument ‘baby’ of the unergative predicate crawl.
baby CL(>):'crawl'
‘The baby is crawling.’
(Sevgi 2019:13)
In the following sentence, the signer overtly expresses the single argument ‘plate’ of the unaccusative predicate fall.
table plate wrong fallCL(l):'fall_of_the_plate'
‘A plate falls off a table accidentally.’
(Gökgöz in progress)
In the following transitive clause, the signer expresses both arguments of a transitive predicate overtly (‘girl’ and ‘flower’).
girl child flower CL(0):'collect'
‘A girl is collecting flowers.’
(Gökgöz in progress)
Signers tend to omit the agent argument of a transitive clause if it has been mentioned previously. Below, after introducing the agent in the first transitive clause, the signer leaves it unexpressed in the second transitive clause.
man woman manCL(B):‘approaching’
‘The man approaches the woman.’
(Gökgöz in progress)
back stick CL(O):‘extend’ hitCL(3):‘hit_with_a_stick’
‘(He) hits her on the back with a stick.’
(Gökgöz in progress)
Signers also tend to leave the agent of an unergative clause unexpressed after they introduce it in a preceding clause. In the following example, the agent of the second, unergative clause with crawl is left unexpressed after it has been introduced in the preceding transitive clause.
baby CL(a):'walk' know^not CL(>):'crawl'
‘The baby does not know how to walk. (She) is crawling.’
(Sevgi 2019:13)
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