Argentine Sign Language

Argentine Sign Language (Lengua de señas argentina, LSA) is used in Argentina. Deaf people attend separate schools, and use local sign languages out of class. A manual alphabet for spelling Spanish has been developed.

Recognition
Argentine Sign Language (LSA) was officially recognized by the government of Argentina in 2023.

Manual Alphabet and Fingerspelling
In Argentine Sign Language (LSA), the manual alphabet, also known as fingerspelling, serves as a crucial component for spelling out words and conveying specific letters of the alphabet manually through handshapes. This system allows Deaf individuals to represent words, names, or concepts for which there are no standard signs, or to clarify spelling in situations where precision is paramount.

The manual alphabet in LSA consists of a set of handshapes representing each letter of the Spanish alphabet. Each handshape corresponds to a specific letter, and the fingerspelling process involves sequentially forming these handshapes to spell out the desired word or message. The clarity and accuracy of fingerspelling in LSA rely heavily on precise hand movements, finger positions, and facial expressions to ensure effective communication.

Fingerspelling is commonly used in situations where direct translation from Spanish to LSA is not feasible, such as proper nouns, technical terms, or newly introduced concepts. Additionally, fingerspelling may be employed for emphasis, clarification, or to reinforce understanding within a conversation or educational context.

Proficiency in fingerspelling is an essential skill for both Deaf individuals and those interacting with the Deaf community, as it enhances communication flexibility and comprehension in diverse linguistic settings. Training in fingerspelling is often incorporated into LSA educational programs and language-learning initiatives to promote linguistic proficiency and fluency among users of LSA.

Grammar
Argentine Sign Language (LSA) exhibits a distinct grammatical structure that differs from spoken languages such as Spanish. Notably, LSA lacks the concept of "Sujeto tácito" (tacit subject), a grammatical feature found in Spanish where the subject is inferred from the verb conjugation without explicit expression. In LSA, subjects are typically expressed explicitly through manual signs, facial expressions, and body movements.

LSA grammar is primarily visual-spatial and relies on a combination of handshapes, movements, and non-manual markers to convey meaning. The language employs a topic-comment structure, where the topic is established first, followed by additional information or commentary. Non-manual markers, such as facial expressions and head movements, play a crucial role in indicating grammatical aspects such as negation, question formation, and emphasis.

Verb agreement in LSA is marked through movement, location, and directionality, with verbs inflecting to indicate aspects such as tense, aspect, and mood. Adjectives and adverbs are typically placed before the noun or verb they modify, and word order can vary depending on contextual factors and emphasis.

LSA also features spatial grammar, where locations and movements in signing space are used to convey spatial relationships, pronouns, and verb arguments. Spatial referencing is dynamic and can change based on discourse context and the perspective of the signer.

Syntax
The unmarked word order in LSA is subject-object-verb, akin to languages such as Turkish, Japanese, and Latin, but divergent from Spanish.

[PRON]2 TRABAJAR BUSCAR-

you work search

subject object verb

'You are looking for a job.' [PRON]1 PAN 1DAR-2[cl:Bread]

I bread I-give-you(-something-bread-shaped)

subject object verb

'I give you (the) bread.'

When an indirect object is present in the sentence, it precedes the direct object.

[PRON]1 [POSS]1 PADRE3 PAN 1DAR-3[cl:Pan]

I my father bread I-give-him(-something-bread-shaped)

subject {} {indirect object} {direct object} verb

'I give my father (the) bread.'

In sentences involving chains of verbs, auxiliary verbs typically appear after the main verb, contrary to English word order.

[PRON]2 TRABAJAR BUSCAR- DEBER-

you work search must

subject object {main verb} auxiliary

'You have to look for a job.' [PRON]1 {ANDAR-EN BICICLETA-} NO-PODER

I ride-a-bike cannot

subject {main verb} auxiliary

'I can't ride a bike.' [PRON]1 IR- PROBAR-

I come try

subject {main verb} auxiliary

'I'll try to come.' [PRON]1 APARTAMENTO LIMPIAR- NO-QUERER-

I apartment clean can't-be-bothered

subject object {main verb} {modal verb}

'I can't be bothered cleaning the apartment.'

The Personal Agreement Marker (abbreviated as "PAM"), resembling the sign for "person" and sometimes accompanied by the mouthing "auf" ("on"), serves to indicate the location in signing space of animate objects when the verb in the sentence does not perform this function. It essentially fulfills the role of object pronouns, although it behaves more akin to an auxiliary verb, inflecting for person where the main verb does not. While there exists notable variation, particularly among dialects, it typically appears in positions similar to auxiliaries, following the verb rather than occupying the object slot. Similarly, the benefactive marker (labeled as "BEM") is positioned in a similar manner.

[PRON]1 LOVE- [PAM]2

I love you

subject {main verb} auxiliary

'I love you.' [PRON]1 DOCTOR3 AMAR- [PAM]3

I doctor love him/her

subject object {main verb} auxiliary

'I love the doctor.' [PRON]1 LIBRO COMPAR- [BEM]2

I book buy for-you

subject object {main verb} auxiliary

'I bought a book for you.'

Temporal expressions (tomorrow, next week) typically precede the sentence (as a discourse topic).

YESTERDAY MUJER3 [POSS]1 HERMANA4 LIBRO 3DAR-4[cl:Libro]

yesterday woman my sister book she-give-her(-something-book-shaped)

time subject {} {indirect object} {direct object} verb

'Yesterday a/the woman gave my sister a/the book.'

Phrases specifying location often commence at the beginning of the sentence (after time information).

AYER {UNIVERSIDAD [LOK]A} [PRON]1 {HOMBRE AGRADABLE} CONOCER

yesterday {university there} I {man nice} meet

time location subject object verb

'I met a nice man at the university yesterday.'

This adheres to the figure-ground principle, where smaller, more mobile referents (figures) typically follow larger, less mobile referents (ground).

BOSQUE {UNA CASA} OBJETO-con-una[SITUADO]

forest house house-shaped-object-is-situated-there

ground figure verb

'There is a house in the forest.'

Sentence adverbs frequently appear at the beginning of the sentence.

ESPERANZA [PRON]3 PERRO COMPRA-

hope s/he dog buy

{sentence adverb} subject object verb

'Hopefully s/he'll buy a dog.'

However, adverbs modifying the verb but which cannot be expressed non-manually follow the verb as an extra clause.

{[POSS]1 JEFE} BAILAR-, LINDO

{my boss} dance beautiful

subject verb {adverbial clause}

'My boss dances beautifully. / My boss dances and it's beautiful.'

Wh-words (interrogatives) typically occur at the end of the sentence after the verb.

[PRON]2 ORDENAR- DESEAR- QUÉ

you order desire what

subject {main verb} auxiliary wh

'What would you like to order?' [PRON]2 D-G-S APRENDER DESEAR- {POR QUÉ}

you DGS learn desire why

subject object {main verb} auxiliary wh

'Why do you want to learn LSA?' [PRON]2 {CIENCIAS SOCIALES} ESTUDIAR- COMENZAR- CUÁNDO

du {social sciences} study-at-university begin when

subject object {main verb} auxiliary wh

'How long have you been studying social sciences at university?'

Some signs with a negative meaning tend to occur at the end of the sentence.

[PRON]1 {[POSS]2 AMAR(R)} CONOCER- AÚN-NO

ich {your partner} meet not-yet

subject object verb negation

'I haven't met your girlfriend/boyfriend/partner/husband/wife yet.' [PRON]1 COMER- DESEAR- NADA

I eat desire nothing

subject {full verb} auxiliary negation

'I don't want to eat anything (at all).'

However, if the negation is not emphasized, it can also appear in the expected position.

[PRON]1 NADA COMER- DESEAR-

I nothing eat desire

subject object {full verb} auxiliary

'I don't want to eat anything.'

Determiners (articles, demonstratives, quantifiers, relative pronouns) follow the noun.

LIBRO [DEM]A

book this

noun determiner

'this book'

Their function is to establish the location of referents within the signing space. If this is indicated instead by directional verbs, determiners can always be omitted, provided they are not required for other reasons (such as showing possession, pluralization, etc.). There is no distinction between definite and indefinite articles.

Attributive adjectives follow immediately after the noun.

LIBRO NUEVO

book new

noun adjective

'a/the new book'

The copula to be does not exist in LSA. Predicative adjectives are generally separated from the noun by a determiner.

LIBRO [DEM]A NUEVO

book this new

noun determiner adjective

'This book is new.'

Comparing the preceding sentence to the following noun phrase, in which the determiner follows the adjective, demonstrates a different syntactic structure.

LIBRO NUEVO [DEM]A

book new this

noun adjective determiner

'this new book'

Possessive adjectives are positioned between the possessor and the possession.

HOMBRE3 [POSS]3 AUTO

man his car

Besitzer Possessiv Besitz

'the man's car'

Here is an illustration of a more extended yet still straightforward, unmarked sentence.

{LA SEMANA PASADA} {[POSS]1 PADRE3 [POSS]3 CASA [LOK]A} [PRON]2 {[POSS]1 MADRE4} DINERO/PLATA 2DAR-4 DESEAR- {POR QUÉ}

last-week {my father his house there} you {my mother} money you-give-her desire why

time location subject {indirect object} {direct object} {full verb} auxiliary wh

'Why did you want to give my mother money at my father's house last week?'

Sections of the sentence that deviate from their typical unmarked position are accompanied by non-manual marking.

Elements of the sentence (excluding verbs) can be topicalized by relocating them to the beginning of the sentence and marking them with raised eyebrows.

{raised eyebrows} {} {head shake}

{MUJER [DEM]A} [PRON]1 POSIBLE-

{woman that} I don't-like

{topicalized object} subject verb

'I don't like that woman. / That woman, I don't like.'

Often, a topic doesn't fulfill any other function in the sentence. In such cases, it serves to restrict the scope of the sentence. Contrast the following three sentences.

[PRON]1 ITALIA ADORO-

I Italy adore

subject object verb

'I love Italy.' {raised eyebrows} {} {} {}

PAÍS [PRON]1 ITALIA ADORO-

country I Italy adore

topic subject object verb

'My favourite country is Italy.' {raised eyebrows} {} {} {}

COMIDA [PRON]1 ITALIA ADORO-

food I Italy adore

topic subject object verb

'My favourite food is Italian.'