The rules for DGS plural formation are introduced in the chapter. Reduplication of the whole sign is the usual way to form plurals with signs that do not involve complex movement or contact with the body. Thus both chair and house would form their plural by means of reduplication. In addition, chair shares features with child, as it is articulated on the (ipsilateral) side of the signing space. We may therefore expect that its plural form involves sideward reduplication. In contrast, house is articulated in front of the body (similar to book), and it will therefore be pluralized by means of simple reduplication. The sign doctor involves contact with the non-dominant hand, that is, it is body-anchored. Reduplication is therefore not possible, and the plural will be zero-marked. As this particular sign refers to a human referent, an alternative strategy is available: the sign may combine with the noun person (similar in form to the NGT noun person; see assignment 2), which can be reduplicated by means of sideward reduplication.

Examples from other sign languages can also be discussed such as:

BSL tower

Probably reduplication with sideways movement, or appropriate classifier reduplicated.

Portuguese Sign Language flowers

This sign appears body-anchored, so it is not clear whether it can be reduplicated or not; remember from the discussion in the chapter that sign languages may differ from each other in this respect. In any case, if reduplication is possible, it will most certainly be simple reduplication.