Editing Sign language (section)

=== Non-manual elements ===
{{main|Nonmanual feature}}
Sign languages convey much of their [[prosody (linguistics)|prosody]] through non-manual elements. Postures or movements of the body, head, eyebrows, eyes, cheeks, and mouth are used in various combinations to show several categories of information, including [[lexical item|lexical]] distinction, [[grammar|grammatical]] structure, [[adjective|adjectival]] or [[adverb]]ial content, and [[discourse]] functions.

At the lexical level, signs can be lexically specified for non-manual elements in addition to the manual articulation. For instance, facial expressions may accompany verbs of emotion, as in the sign for ''angry'' in [[Czech Sign Language]]. Non-manual elements may also be lexically contrastive. For example, in ASL (American Sign Language), facial components distinguish some signs from other signs. An example is the sign translated as ''not yet'', which requires that the tongue touch the lower lip and that the head rotate from side to side, in addition to the manual part of the sign. Without these features the sign would be interpreted as ''late''.<ref>Liddell, Scott K. (2003). ''Grammar, Gesture, and Meaning in American Sign Language.'' Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.</ref> [[Mouthing]]s, which are (parts of) spoken words accompanying lexical signs, can also be contrastive, as in the manually identical signs for ''doctor'' and ''battery'' in [[Dutch Sign Language|Sign Language of the Netherlands]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=SignGram blueprint: A guide to sign language grammar writing |publisher=De Gruyter Mouton |editor1=Josep Quer i Carbonell |editor2=Carlo Cecchetto |editor3=Rannveig Sverrisd Ãttir |year=2017 |isbn=9781501511806 |oclc=1012688117}}</ref>

While the content of a signed sentence is produced manually, many grammatical functions are produced non-manually (i.e., with the face and the torso).<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Bross | first1 = Fabian | last2 = Hole | first2 = Daniel | title = Scope-taking strategies in German Sign Language | journal = Glossa | volume = 2 | issue = 1| pages = 1–30 | doi = 10.5334/gjgl.106 | doi-access = free }}</ref> Such functions include questions, negation, relative clauses and topicalization.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Boudreault|first=Patrick|author2=Mayberry, Rachel I.|year=2006|title=Grammatical processing in American Sign Language: Age of first-language acquisition effects in relation to syntactic structure|journal=Language and Cognitive Processes|volume=21|issue=5|pages=608–635|doi=10.1080/01690960500139363|s2cid=13572435}}</ref> ASL and BSL use similar non-manual marking for yes/no questions, for example. They are shown through raised eyebrows and a forward head tilt.<ref name="Baker&Cokely">Baker, Charlotte, and Dennis Cokely (1980). ''American Sign Language: A teacher's resource text on grammar and culture.'' Silver Spring, MD: T.J. Publishers.</ref><ref name="Sutton-Spence&Woll">Sutton-Spence, Rachel, and Bencie Woll (1998). ''The linguistics of British Sign Language.'' Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.</ref>

Some adjectival and adverbial information is conveyed through non-manual elements, but what these elements are varies from language to language. For instance, in ASL a slightly open mouth with the tongue relaxed and visible in the corner of the mouth means "carelessly", but a similar non-manual in BSL means "boring" or "unpleasant".<ref name=Sutton-Spence&Woll />

Discourse functions such as [[conversation analysis|turn taking]] are largely regulated through head movement and eye gaze. Since the addressee in a signed conversation must be watching the signer, a signer can avoid letting the other person have a turn by not looking at them, or can indicate that the other person may have a turn by making eye contact.<ref>Baker, Charlotte (1977). Regulators and turn-taking in American Sign Language discourse, in Lynn Friedman, ''On the other hand: New perspectives on American Sign Language.'' New York: Academic Press. {{ISBN|9780122678509}}</ref>