Modality in Spanish Sign Language (LSE) revisited: a functional account

Abstract

This paper provides an analysis of modality in Spanish Sign Language (Lengua de Signos Española: LSE) from a functional perspective. Following FDG assumptions, scope will be the basic criterion in delineating modal subtypes. Four representational layers are taken into account: Propositional Content, Episode, State-of-Affairs, and Configurational Property. This study highlights that LSE offers an extensive sample of manual items (with a variable degree of grammaticalization) that enable the efficient expression of a wide range of modal contents: epistemic, deontic, volitive, and facultative. LSE is thus fully congruent with oral languages (OLs) in this domain.

Keywords

• spanish sign language (lse)
• functional discourse grammar (fdg)
• modality
• scope
• grammaticalization
• iconicity
• representational layers