ASL has an inventory of generally recognized ASL words using specific handshapes at specific locations, but peoples' actual signs can be quite varied. Just like pace, pitch and pausing in written English, ASLSJ can only hint at how fast something is signed, how many times it is repeated, or what facial / body expressions are used.
ASLSJ breaks ASL words into a sequential pattern for writing. These syllables are in two groups separated by a hyphen. Before the hyphen is the initial hand placement. After the hyphen is the movement and possibly the destination hand placement.
Non-manual syllable
Starting character: ', q
Uses: Body tilt, eye gaze, speed, head nod / shake 'r = looking and signing to the wide* side 's = looking and signing to the base* side qf = move fast qn = shaking head side to side qs = move slowly qy = nodding head up and down Finger spelling syllable Starting character: w Uses: The next word is a spelled-out English word using the ASL manual alphabet w-Soon = English word "soon" w = English word indicator -Soon = fingerspelled letters S, O, O, N wznm-VP = Vice President w = English word indicator znm = hand placed on wide* side of forehead -VP = fingerspelled letters V then P Manual word First two letters tell the handshape(s), the following letter in d,i,o,r,s,u tells the wrist rotation(s), and the letters after the hyphen tell the movement(s) bei-m = mine be = wide* hand open-B handshape (four fingers together and flat with palm) i = palm facing in toward body -m = move hand onto body jbonuu-tdy = money jb = base* hand open-B handshape on = wide* hand O handshape (four fingers together and bent, first finger touching thumb) uu = base and wide hand palms facing up -td = move wide hand to touch down onto base hand y = repeat the movement (tap several times) Location syllable
Starting characters: n,p,z
Uses: Wide* hand location relative to body
bens-oy = lecture be = open-B handshape (base hand is not used) n = hand is forehead high on wide side (the wide hand's own side) s = palm facing base side o = move hand out toward audience y = repeat onpi-my = food on = O handshape (base hand is not used) p = hand is chin high on wide side (the wide hand's own side) i = palm facing in toward body -m = move hand onto body y = repeat Palm facing syllable
Starting character: d,i,o,r,s,u
Uses: Direction to face the palms and point the fingers beo-o = yours be = open-B handshape o = palm facing out toward audience -o = move hand out toward audience lns-o = you ln = 1 handshape s = palm facing base side -o = move hand out toward audience Touch or Distance syllable
Starting character: t or x
Uses: Wide* hand relative to base hand beddtu-o = enter be = base and wide hands open-B handshapes dd = base and wide palms facing down tu = wide hand touches up to base hand -o = move wide hand out ceddxu-sy = above ce = base and wide hands open-C handshapes (four fingers and thumb spread apart flat with palm) dd = base and wide palms facing down xu = wide hand farther up from base hand -s = move wide hand to base side y = repeat movement
Wide* hand handshape syllable Starting character: any letter Uses: First letter of word shows the wide hand handshape or both hands' matching handshape bemi-uy = happy be = open-B handshape m = hand on chest i = palm facing in toward body -u = move hand up y = repeat movement cnmi-d = hungry cn = C handshape m = hand on chest i = palm facing in toward body -d = move down Base* hand handshape syllable Starting character: j
Uses: The J syllable represents a prefix for the base hand using a different handshape than the wide hand jlxbrs-tsy = word jl = base hand 1 handshape (first finger extended flat with palm) xb = wide hand bent-X handshape (first finger and thumb bent) rs = base palm facing wide side, wide palm facing base side -ts = move wide hand to touch base side to the base hand y = repeat movement
jb-ae-hus-td-vii = help me
jb = base hand open-B handshape ae = wide hand open-A handshape (all fingers closed to palm, thumb spread out) us = base palm facing up, wide palm facing base side td = wide hand touch down to the base hand down -ii = base and wide hand move in toward body * I use the words Wide and Base in place of the more technical terms "Dominant Hand" and "Non-Dominant Hand." Most people use their right hand for the Wide hand, and their left hand for the Base hand. Left-handed people use their left hand for the Wide hand, and their right hand for the Base hand.
|
ASLSJ Instruction >