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Sign Language & Linguistics: Online-First Articles

Doubling in Hong Kong Sign Language

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The present paper provides a copy-movement analysis for doubling in Hong Kong Sign Language (HKSL). HKSL allows for the doubling of heads and phrases in an XYX pattern with the doubled element occurring clause-finally. I argue that doubled elements undergo A’-movement into Spec,FocP, attracted by a focus-feature on Foc0. The moved element then fuses with the abstract focus feature head of FocP and becomes morphologically distinct from the lower element. This research provides a uniform account of two related phenomena, namely doubling and right dislocation, by considering head-to-spec movement. Finally, doubling in HKSL has not been previously described, and therefore my account adds to the typological picture of doubling in sign and spoken languages. This is especially important because HKSL allows for the doubling of both heads and phrases, which sets it apart from earlier accounts on doubling in other sign languages.

Keywords: doubling, focus-prominence, head-to-spec movement, Hong Kong Sign Language, right dislocation
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Descriptive data analysis
    • 2.1Clause-internal doubling
    • 2.2 index doubling
    • 2.3Clause doubling vs. clause repetition
    • 2.4Doubled elements
    • 2.5Phonetic and morphological modifications
    • 2.6Interim discussion
  • 3.Formal analysis
    • 3.1Island constraints
    • 3.2Head-to-spec movement
    • 3.3Mood phrase
    • 3.4Index doubling
    • 3.5Interim discussion
    • 3.6A uniform account of doubling and right dislocation
    • 3.7A comparison with Petronio & Lillo-Martin (1997)
  • 4.HKSL as a focus-prominent language and other topics for future research
    • 4.1EPP in FocP
    • 4.2The semantic and pragmatic differences between doubling and RD
    • 4.3HKSL doubling is neither identificational focus nor emphatic focus
    • 4.4Is HKSL Spec,FocP always filled?
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 18 April 2024
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https://doi.org/10.1075/sll.23004.koe
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