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Sign Language & Linguistics
Vol. 22:2 (2019) ► pp.241–266
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Interrogative marking in Chinese Sign Language

A preliminary corpus-based investigation

| Shanghai International Studies University

Little research has been conducted on interrogative constructions in Chinese Sign Language (CSL) based on naturalistic data. This paper presents a comprehensive investigation of CSL interrogative constructions. Based on findings from naturalistic data, both manual and non-manual components of these constructions are described and analyzed, revealing a complex system. Firstly, manual markers in content questions consist of two basic wh-signs, what and how-many, which form two series of wh-compounds for more specific information retrieval. As for the manual marking of CSL polar questions, three types of particles are attested, namely yes, a-not-a, and some negators.

Non-manual markers work as interrogative markers in two ways: morphologically and prosodically. The former way is realized by mouthings, which can be equaled to suprasegmental markers like tones in spoken language. Prosodic non-manual marking is mainly realized by brow movement while head tilt, eye gaze, etc. are excluded as optional. Considering the spread of brow movement, we find that polar questions without particles are predominantly marked by brow raise spreading over the entire sentence, while in interrogatives with manual markers, brow movement seems to be optional, since its frequency is lower and its spreading behavior less regular. CSL is proposed to be a particle-rich sign language, and some speculations are offered on what may cause this behavior.

Keywords: Chinese Sign Language, interrogative, manual markers, non-manual markers, particles
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Manual and non-manual marking of sign language interrogatives
    • 2.1Manual markings
      • 2.1.1Wh-question words
      • 2.1.2Particles in polar questions
    • 2.2Non-manual markings (NMMs)
      • 2.2.1Mouthings
      • 2.2.2Brow, head, and eye movements
  • 3.Methodology
  • 4.Manual markers in CSL interrogatives
    • 4.1Manual markers in CSL content questions (WHQ2)
      • 4.1.1Formation of wh-compounds
      • 4.1.2 what as general wh-sign
      • 4.1.3Syntactic distribution of wh-signs
    • 4.2Manual markers (particles) in polar questions (Q2)
      • 4.2.1 yes and its function
      • 4.2.2The A-NOT-A construction and its derivatives
      • 4.2.3Negators functioning as manual markers in polar questions
  • 5.Non-manual interrogative markers in CSL
    • 5.1Mouthing and manual markers
    • 5.2Intonational NMM in the interrogatives
      • 5.2.1Analysis of non-manual components
      • 5.2.2Further investigation on brow movement
      • 5.2.3NMMs in WHQ1 (or covert wh-question)
  • 6.Discussion
    • 6.1Interaction of manual and non-manual markers in CSL
    • 6.2Typological perspective: Question particles and NMMs
    • 6.3The role of language contact
  • 7.Conclusion
  • Note
  • References
Published online: 10 February 2020
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/sll.19001.lin
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