Abstract
This paper presents a syntactic analysis of Topics in American Sign Language (henceforward ASL), in the Principles and Parameters framework (Chomsky 1986 a,b, 1991,1992)1. Topics in American Sign Language occur in a structural position to the left of the Complementizer Phrase. Researchers have previougJy identified topics by a particularnon-manuaI marking, thought to accompany all topics.: In this paper, a distinction is drawn between base-generated and moved topics, and, moreover, there is shown to be a difference among the non-manual markings accompanying at least three different sorts of topics. In addition, topic position is shown to be structurally present in embedded as well as main clauses. Extraction is argued to be possible from within an embedded clause to the topic position of the main clause, in the case of non-finite embedded clauses. A maximum of two topics can beadjoinedto·CP inASL. If the sentence has two topics, only some combinations of the different sorts of topics areallowed.
Highlights
(henceforward ASL), in the Principles and Parameters framework (Chomsky 1986 a,b, 1991,1992)1
This is because the wh-marking that optionally extends over the c-command domain of the +wh Comp cannot extend over the word in topic position
Topics in ASL have been shown to occur in a structural position postulated to be adjoined to the left of CP
Summary
In the case of the structure shown in 21 below, in which an NP has moved to topic position, the non-manual marking over the item in topic position consists of raised brows, head tilted back, sometimes slightly to the side as well, and eyes opened wide. There is a pause (and sometimes a brief closing and opening of the eyes l1 ) before the head returns to neutral position and the constituent is signed There is often a slight eyeblink, and a pause before the head returns to neutral position for the signing of the constituent
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