SignWriting List Forum | |||
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From:
Valerie Sutton Date: Sat Feb 26, 2000 5:39 am Subject: Re: Writing Projecting Thumbs | |||||
February 25, 2000 Below is another .GIF showing different handshapes in SignWriting. Not all of these are used in ASL. Some of them were added into SignWriter 4.3 when I created the Spanish version of the program for the Parkhursts back in 1995. Number 1 is a little like the sign for "four in ASL", except the thumb is projecting forward. Notice the dot...that means you are seeing the thumb coming straight at you...the tip is projecting towards you, or directly away from you. But the side position has the thumb line on the white side of the symbol since it is projecting toward the direction that the palm is facing. Number 2 is a flat hand with a projecting thumb forward. Number 3 is a tight closed fist with the thumb projecting forward. Number 4 is the "L" hand in ASL. The first and last positions are easy to read, but when the palm turns to face the side, technically the thumb projects straight towards the reader. It could be written with a dot too...just one problem...the dot for the projecting thumb hits the border of the palm facing (half-dark half-light) and it is real hard to read and write properly. That is why we usually write the "L" hand with a real thumb line in all three positions, and the if it is a real "L" handshape, then the thumb line has to be on the dark section in that position because otherwise it gets confused with the thumb projecting forward. Number 5 is the same issue as number 4...but it is with only the thumb projecting - Now you can see why some symbols are the way they are! The side view of the "L" handshape can be written either way...with a dot in the center ...or with the thumb on the dark side of the palm facing: | |||||
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