3.1.1.3. Locative markers

Spatial verbs in Spanish Sign Language (LSE) agree with locations in space associated with locative arguments.

Some spatial verbs connect two points of articulation through movement from one point to another. In example (1), the verb's start and end points correspond to the origin and destination arguments.

(1) YESTERDAY MADRID THEREright BARCELONAleft MY FATHER rightGOleft (Yesterday my father went from Madrid to Barcelona)

In other constructions, only one location is relevant. For example, in (2), the verb begins at the origin location, while in (3), it ends at the destination location.

(2) H1 TABLE CHILD GLASS tableCL:TAKE-GLASS
H2 TABLE CL:TABLE ____________________________

(The child takes the glass from the table)

(3) H1 TABLE CHILD GLASS CL:PUT-GLASStable
H2 TABLE CL: TABLE ______________________________

(The child puts the glass on the table)

Some LSE spatial verbs lack movement but mark agreement by being articulated at the place of the locative argument, as shown in (4).

(4)

JULIA CUENCAright THREE-MONTH STAYright (Julia has been in Cuenca for three months)

LSE verbs like WRITE or LIE-DOWN show agreement with locative arguments by being articulated at that argument's location.

(5) H1 POSTERLleft DOCTOR WRITEleft
H2 POSTERleft   CL:POSTERleft

(The doctor wrote on the poster)

(6)

 BEDleft l-u-i-s LIE-DOWNleft (Luis lay down)

In example (5), WRITE is performed at the poster's assigned location. In (6), LIE-DOWN is articulated where the bed is located. Similar expressions can use classifiers, as in (7).

(7) H1 BEDleft l-u-i-s CL:PERSON-LYINGleft
H2 BEDleft   CL:BEDleft

(Luis has lain down on the bed)

In (7), classifiers on both hands represent two entities' simultaneous locations relative to each other. The non-dominant hand serves as background (CL:BED) while the dominant hand shows the figure (Luis through CL:PERSON-LYING). Examples (7) and (8) demonstrate how classifiers can represent both subject and location (Herrero Blanco, 2009, pp. 252-253). In (8), CL:BICYCLE and CL:CAR are articulated in the same place, but their relative hand positions indicate the bicycle is on top of the car.

(8) H1 BICYCLE CAR CL:BICYCLEAcentre
H2 BICYCLE CAR CL:CARcentre

(The bicycle is on top of the car)

LSE uses spatial constructions with classifying hand configurations where the handshape or orientation changes based on the argument's properties, as shown in (9).

(9) H1 TINleft YOU PEN CL:PENleft
H2 CL:TINleft _________________

(Put the pen in the tin)

In (9), the handshape indicates the pen's elongated form, while finger orientation shows insertion by the tip. The hands' relative positions show the pen's location relative to the tin.

In LSE, a single argument can convey both person and locative information, as in (10).

(10)

MY BUILDING FLOOR-FIFTH NEIGHBOUR HEup PHONEup (I called my fifth-floor neighbour on the phone)

The distinction between spatial verbs (with locative arguments) and person-agreeing verbs is not always clear-cut. They function similarly, and examples like (10) show how a single argument can contain both person and place information.

Costello, B. y Villameriel García, S. (2025). Morphology: verbal inflection: agreement: person and locative markers: locative markers. En S. Villameriel García (Ed.), Gramática de la Lengua de Signos Española (GramLSE) / Grammar of Spanish Sign Language (GramLSE). Real Patronato sobre Discapacidad-Centro de Normalización Lingüística de la Lengua de Signos Española. Recuperado el dd de mes de aaaa de https://cnlse.es/es/recursos/gramlse/ingles/index/morphology/chapter-3-verbal-inflection/3-1-agreement/3-1-1-person-and-locative-markers/3-1-1-3-locative-markers