The Contribution of Gestures to the Semantics of Non-Canonical Questions. (14th June 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ippolito, Michela
• Is Part Of: Journal of semantics. Volume 38:Number 3(2021)
• Page Start: 363
• Page End: 392
• Publication Date: 2021-06-14
• Subjects: Semantics -- Periodicals; Semantik; Semantics; Periodicals; 401.43
• DOI: 10.1093/jos/ffab007
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0167-5133

Abstract

Abstract: The symbolic gesture MAT ( mano a tulipano ) used by native speakers of Italian characterizes non-canonical wh questions when used both as a co-speech and pro-speech gesture. MAT can be executed with either a fast tempo contour or a slow tempo contour. Tempo is semantically significant: descriptively, a fast tempo characterizes a biased but information-seeking non-canonical question; a slow tempo characterizes a rhetorical non-canonical question. I argue that the fast contour is the default tempo of MAT and that it brings about a biased interpretation. Slowing down the movement occurs when the feature [slow] is added: the semantic contribution of this feature is to add the presupposition that the question is resolved in the conversational context, resulting in the rhetorical interpretation of the question.