1steal3[lateral_high]
One of the signs that form non-specific indefinites is other [Lexicon - Section 3.6.2.]. other can function as an indefinite pronominal and it can combine with other signs to form more complex indefinites. Possible combinations are other^one^c_person ‘someone’ and one^other ‘someone’.
other one c_person
‘someone’
(r. f. Kelepir et al. 2018a: 269)
As mentioned above, these forms are used when the signer does not know the referent or has no referent in mind. Sentences with these forms can be followed by ‘… but I don't know who.’.
Another sign that can also function as a non-specific indefinite pronoun is one[ipsi_up]. This sign has the same handshape as the numeral one but it is articulated by pointing the index finger towards the higher region of the (ipsi-) lateral signing space.
one[lateral_up]
'someone (non-specific & exclusive)'
(r. f. Kelepir et al. 2018a: 270)
For some signers, potential referents of these forms with other and one[lateral-high] exclude the addressee and also perhaps other people socially or physically close to the signer. Non-specific indefinite referents in contexts that involve, for instance, inappropriate acts such as throwing bottles into the sea, leaving trash on a desk, stealing, smoking etc., are expressed more frequently with these forms than with the more neutral forms such as the one^person c_person described in [Pragmatics - Section 1.3.1.] This exclusive reading is represented as ‘someone (non-specific, exclusive to our group)’ in the translations of the examples below. These examples have been adapted from Kelepir et al. (2018a: 268-274).
non-sp
one^other shoe 1steal3[lateral-high]
'Someone (non-specific, exclusive to our group) has stolen my shoe.'
(adapted from Kelepir et al. 2018a: 274)
non-sp
other^one^c_person sea water bottle throw fınısh
'Someone (non-specific, exclusive to our group) has thrown the water bottle
into the sea.’
(adapted from Kelepir et al. 2018a: 268)
When an argument is non-specific indefinite (and exclusive in the sense explained above) and the verb is an agreement verb [Lexicon - Section 3.2.2.] that inflects for that argument, the agreement marker is also articulated in the higher region of the ipsilateral side of the signer.
1steal3[lateral_high]
'(Someone from outside) stole (it).'
(recreated from Kelepir et al. 2018b: 174)
When the signer assumes that the individuals who are present or nearby are in the set of potential referents, s/he articulates an indefinite sign or an agreement marker in the lower part of the central signing space.
one[central_low]
‘someone (from here)’
(recreated from Kelepir et al. 2018a: 270)
1steal3[central_low]
‘(Someone from here) stole (it).’
(recreated from Kelepir et al. 2018b: 176)
An example of a context for the use of an inclusive indefinite is the following: The signer notices that her/his phone is missing, and s/he suspects that someone in that room stole the phone.
non-spec
poss1 phone one^person 1steal3[center_low]
‘Someone (inclusive) has stolen my phone.’
This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant Agreement No 693349.