The expression of time in Spanish Sign Language (LSE)

Our aim in this paper is to describe and systematize the processes used to express time in Spanish Sign Language (LSE). The conception of time as a line, as well as its nature as a deictic category, are confirmed for both spoken languages and sign languages, although in the former time has been studied mainly as inflection, while other types of resources are common in the latter, particularly the expression of time by means of time lines.

In our analysis we have focused mainly on the description of the lexical processes and the time lines that participate in time marking in LSE. We have also referred to an iconic process, which involves the use of so-called "classifier" predicates.