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Polar questions in Dutch Sign Language (NGT): A production experiment
Marloes Oomen1, Lyke Esselink2, Floris Roelofsen2
1Amsterdam Center for Language and Communication, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Plos One
|July 29, 2026
Summary
This study reveals diverse polar question forms in Dutch Sign Language (NGT), showing context-specific usage. Head/body forward position, not raised eyebrows, appears to be the primary NGT polar question marker.
Area of Science:
- Linguistics
- Sign Language Studies
- Pragmatics
Background:
- Polar questions are crucial in communication, with forms varying across spoken languages.
- Research on polar question forms in sign languages, particularly Dutch Sign Language (NGT), is limited.
- Understanding contextual variations in NGT polar questions is essential for linguistic analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify existing polar question forms in Dutch Sign Language (NGT).
- To analyze the contextual distribution of these NGT polar question forms.
- To determine the semantic contribution of specific elements within NGT polar questions.
Main Methods:
- A production experiment was conducted with Dutch Sign Language (NGT) participants.
- Two contextual factors were manipulated: prior expectations and available evidence.
- Role-play scenarios involving participants and confederates were used to elicit NGT polar questions.
Main Results:
- A wide range of NGT polar question forms were identified, varying in polarity marking, question tags, and non-manual markers.
- Each identified NGT polar question form exhibited a distinct distribution across different contexts.
- Contrary to previous research, raised eyebrows were not consistently used; brow lowering was common, suggesting head/body forward position as the primary NGT polar question marker.
Conclusions:
- Dutch Sign Language (NGT) possesses diverse polar question forms with context-dependent usage.
- The primary NGT polar question marker appears to be a head or body forward position, not raised eyebrows.
- Raised and lowered eyebrows may signal various other functions in NGT, particularly in non-canonical polar questions.
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