Head Thrust in ASL Conditional Marking

• Published in: Sign language studies 1986-09, Vol.52 (1), p.244-262
• Main Author: Liddell, Scott K
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0302-1475; 1533-6263; 1533-6263
• DOI: 10.1353/sls.1986.0003

A descriptive issue is addressed here. The form of the nonmanual marking of conditionals in ASL has been variously described, perhaps because of variability in the data, but more likely because it is difficult to pick out the recurrent nonmanual features that are ever present in ASL signing. This paper describes head thrust as a significant nonmanual signal, which occurs on the final sign in a conditional clause, in combination with a brow raise and a rotated head position (found in other constituent markings). This makes conditional marking in ASL unlike the other grammatical signals involving a brow raise, because it involves both a static configuration (brow raise and head rotation) throughout the clause and a dynamic movement of the head (head thrust) only during the production of the final sign of the clause.