On definiteness and topic markers in Malagasy Sign Language (TTM)

MINOURA Nobukatsu

Malagasy Sign Language (TTM) has imported the definite article from spoken/written Malagasy between the beginning of my fieldwork in 2004 and 2018. Nevertheless, this is not an obligatory marker of definiteness (definite article) but an arbitrary marker of definiteness (definite particle) in TTM. When the definite particle is represented by the labels NY, I, and ILAY, it is placed at the beginning of the NP. When the definite particle is represented by IO, it is usually placed at the end of the NP.

IMoreover, definite NP or topics can be marked by non-manual markers (NMM). Finally in paired clauses of contrasted topics, only the topic in the first clause is marked by topic NMM.