%0 Journal Article %A Sze, Felix %T Nonmanual markings for topic constructions in Hong Kong Sign Language %D 2011 %J Sign Language & Linguistics %V 14 %N 1 %P 115-147 %@ 1387-9316 %R https://doi.org/10.1075/sll.14.1.07sze %K ‘scene-setting’ topics %K Hong Kong Sign Language %K nonmanual markings %K fronting of grammatical objects %K ‘aboutness’ topics %I John Benjamins %X Across sign languages, topic constructions are marked by nonmanual features such as a brow raise and head tilt. This study investigates whether a topic constituent is marked nonmanually in Hong Kong Sign Language. Spontaneous and elicited data show that the majority of ‘scene-setting’ topics, which provide a temporal, spatial or individual framework for the proposition in the sentence, are accompanied with a brow raise and a specific head/body position different from the rest of the sentence. In contrast, ‘aboutness’ topics that represent what a sentence is about are neither marked by nonmanuals consistently nor separated intonationally from the rest of the sentence. Grammatical objects fronted to the sentence-initial position are not marked nonmanually, either. The findings suggest that there are cross-linguistic differences with respect to the functions of nonmanuals in the information structuring of sign languages. %U https://www.jbe-platform.com/content/journals/10.1075/sll.14.1.07sze