Silent imperatives: A multimodal approach to warning expressions

This article argues in favor of a formal model that views language as an integrated multimodal system where syntax, prosody, and gestures are linked. It demonstrates that specific syntactic structures trigger sensorimotor realizations, which include intonation, phonology, and gestures. We argue that gestures, in particular non-lexical co-speech gestures, are not merely an additional channel but a fundamental part of grammar, integrated into the same system that governs word order and phonological realization. We suggest a syntactic representation of warning expressions that combines syntactic and pragmatic aspects, based on Italian data and experimental evidence. Specifically, we argue that warnings always include a warning call, which can be either lexical in content or expressed solely through special prosody and gestures.