Deaf people attend separate schools, and use local sign languages out of class.
This system allows Deaf individuals to represent words, names, or concepts for which there are no standard signs, or to clarify spelling in situations where precision is paramount.
The clarity and accuracy of fingerspelling in LSA rely heavily on precise hand movements, finger positions, and facial expressions to ensure effective communication.
Fingerspelling is commonly used in situations where direct translation from Spanish to LSA is not feasible, such as proper nouns, technical terms, or newly introduced concepts.
Additionally, fingerspelling may be employed for emphasis, clarification, or to reinforce understanding within a conversation or educational context.
LSA grammar is primarily visual-spatial and relies on a combination of handshapes, movements, and non-manual markers to convey meaning.
The language employs a topic-comment structure, where the topic is established first, followed by additional information or commentary.
Non-manual markers, such as facial expressions and head movements, play a crucial role in indicating grammatical aspects such as negation, question formation, and emphasis.
Adjectives and adverbs are typically placed before the noun or verb they modify, and word order can vary depending on contextual factors and emphasis.
Spatial referencing is dynamic and can change based on discourse context and the perspective of the signer.
The unmarked word order in LSA is subject-object-verb, akin to languages such as Turkish, Japanese, and Latin, but divergent from Spanish.
'The Personal Agreement Marker (abbreviated as "PAM"), resembling the sign for "person" and sometimes accompanied by the mouthing "auf" ("on"), serves to indicate the location in signing space of animate objects when the verb in the sentence does not perform this function.
While there exists notable variation, particularly among dialects, it typically appears in positions similar to auxiliaries, following the verb rather than occupying the object slot.
AYERyesterdaytimeUNIVERSIDAD [LOK]Auniversity therelocation[PRON]1IsubjectHOMBRE AGRADABLEman niceobjectCONOCERmeetverbAYER {UNIVERSIDAD [LOK]A} [PRON]1 {HOMBRE AGRADABLE} CONOCERyesterday {university there} I {man nice} meettime location subject object verb'I met a nice man at the university yesterday.
'[PRON]2yousubjectD-G-SDGSobjectAPRENDERlearnmain verbDESEAR-desireauxiliaryPOR QUÉwhywh[PRON]2 D-G-S APRENDER DESEAR- {POR QUÉ}you DGS learn desire whysubject object {main verb} auxiliary wh'Why do you want to learn LSA?
If this is indicated instead by directional verbs, determiners can always be omitted, provided they are not required for other reasons (such as showing possession, pluralization, etc.).
raised eyebrowsMUJER [DEM]Awoman thattopicalized object [PRON]1Isubjecthead shakePOSIBLE-don't-likeverb{raised eyebrows} {} {head shake}{MUJER [DEM]A} [PRON]1 POSIBLE-{woman that} I don't-like{topicalized object} subject verb'I don't like that woman.