Spatial Inflection

A grammatical process in sign languages where the motion path and orientation of a verb sign are modified based on the 3D locations in space that have been assigned to its subject and/or object during discourse. In American Sign Language and many other sign languages, signers associate entities under discussion with specific locations around their body, and inflecting verbs then move from the subject's location toward the object's location to indicate who is acting upon whom. Spatial inflection is essential for natural, fluent sign language and significantly improves comprehension of signed content.