SignWriting List
June 26, 2000
Before I get into my new way of transcribing, let us once more take a
look at the way the five of us wrote the first sign. Attached are all
five versions of the first sign on the video. My transcription is
number five at the bottom.
All of us saw an "L" handshape. All of us saw movement from the left
of the chest to the right of the chest. And all four of you wrote
contact twice. I did not.
But all five of us are correct. And all five of us wrote the curved
movement, which I wrote with the curved arrow. How did you do that
without a curved arrow? By writing the contact star twice. The two
writings are equivalent. Let me explain...
To touch the chest twice, without rubbing or brushing across the
chest in-between, you would have to move your hand out a little to
move to the next touch, so technically you all wrote the curved
movement, just like I did.
Why did I choose not to write two contact stars, but instead a curved
arrow? Because over the years we came to the conclusion, that we only
write contact when it is absolutely necessary. For example, would the
sign be a totally different sign if you touched, or if you did not
touch? Usually, in a sign like this, the touching is not as important
as the curving.
And why should the curve be so important? Because it relates to the
facial expression...the "feeling" of encompassing the chest is
"relating to" the shoulders and/or the face...I know...I need to
explain more, and I will in time ;-)
Gosh...there is so much more to tell you...I look forward to tomorrow! |
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