Word order and informative functions (topic and focus) in Spanish Signed Language utterances

The aim of this paper is two-fold: firstly, to address the issue of word order in declarative utterances in Spanish Signed Language, and secondly, to analyse the function of the informative component (topic and focus) at utterance and discursive level in this language (given that research carried out to date in certain signed languages has revealed that this component plays a key function in utterance organisation).The conclusions of our study indicate that the following three word order options are possible: SOV, SVO and topicalisation of object and space-setting (at the start of the utterance). These orders may also vary at discourse level if the signer adopts a spatial organisation of events. As for the other item of the informative element, the focus, it has an emphatic value (information and contrastive focus) and is expressed by means of two types of binary structures: (a) a divided question–answer structure, and (b) a structure whose initial element expresses surprise, followed by the focalised element. From a discursive perspective, both topic and focus have several functions: the topic establishes the discursive theme, has an anaphoric function, and provides cohesion in the listing of elements; the focus structure is used with the function of conjunction (in particular, to introduce purpose, causal, and result clauses).

► We analyse word order and the topic and focus structure at utterance and discursive level in Spanish Signed Language.
► Three word order options were found: SOV, SVO and topicalisation of object and space-setting (at the start of utterances).
► The focus has an emphatic value (information and contrastive functions) and is expressed by two types of binary structures.
► From a discursive perspective, the topic structure has several cohesive functions and the focus has the function of conjunction.