[Sw-l] PTASL primes as English

John Carlson yottzumm at GMAIL.COM
Mon May 29 11:58:46 UTC 2023


PTASL primes—not quite as polished. Blender is next

Pro-Tactile American Sign Language (PTASL) is a tactile sign language
primarily used by DeafBlind individuals for communication. Since PTASL
relies heavily on touch and tactile interactions, the description of
motions in English might not adequately capture the full richness and
nuances of the language. However, I can provide a brief description of the
Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) primes in PTASL:

1. I - Place your hand on your chest or stomach to indicate yourself.
2. someone, something - Use your hands to explore the space in front of
you, indicating the presence of another person or an object.
3. people, human beings - Use both hands to explore the space around you,
indicating the presence of multiple individuals.
4. body - Use your hands to explore different parts of your body, providing
a tactile representation of various body parts.
5. kin - Cross your arms over your chest to indicate a sense of family or
relatedness.
6. male, man - Use your hands to create a shape or gesture that represents
a male figure.
7. female, woman - Use your hands to create a shape or gesture that
represents a female figure.
8. child - Use your hands to indicate a small size or gesture as if holding
a child.
9. parent - Use your hands to create a shape or gesture representing both
parents.
10. other (nonspecific) - Gesture towards an unspecified direction using
your hands or fingertips.
11. this, here - Use your hands to touch or tap the immediate area or
object.
12. the same - Use your hands to create a symmetrical or mirrored gesture,
indicating similarity or sameness.
13. other (specific) - Gesture towards a specific direction or person using
your hands or fingertips.
14. one, two, three - Use your fingers to indicate the corresponding number
in a tactile manner.
15. all - Use both hands to encompass or embrace a larger space or group.
16. many - Use both hands to create a motion indicating a large quantity or
extent.
17. some, few - Use your hands to indicate a small or limited amount.
18. much, big - Use your hands to create a shape or gesture indicating
something large or significant.
19. good - Use your hands to create a gesture or motion indicating
positivity or approval.
20. bad - Use your hands to create a gesture or motion indicating
negativity or disapproval.
21. big - Use your hands to create a shape or gesture indicating something
large in size.
22. small - Use your hands to create a shape or gesture indicating
something small in size.
23. part - Use your hands to indicate a portion or segment of something.
24. not - Use a negating touch or motion with your hands to indicate
negation.
25. if - Use your hands to create a conditional gesture or motion
indicating an "if-then" relationship.
26. because - Use your hands to create a gesture or motion indicating cause
and effect.
27. when, time - Use your hands or fingers to indicate the passing or
measuring of time.
28. where - Use your hands or fingertips to explore the space around you,
indicating a search for a specific location.
29. how - Use your hands or fingers to create a questioning gesture or
motion indicating inquiry about manner or method.
30. what? - Use your hands or fingers to create a questioning gesture or
motion indicating inquiry about an object or concept.
31. who? - Use your hands or fingers to create a questioning gesture or
motion indicating inquiry about a person's identity.
32. why? - Use your hands or fingers to create a questioning gesture or
motion indicating inquiry about a reason or purpose.
33. which? - Use your hands or fingers to create a questioning gesture or
motion indicating inquiry about selection or choice.

34. no - Use a touch or motion with your hands indicating a negative
response.
35. very - Use your hands to create a gesture or motion indicating
intensity or emphasis.
36. almost - Use your hands to create a gesture or motion indicating
nearness or close proximity to a specific point or completion.
37. maybe - Use your hands to create a gesture or motion indicating
uncertainty or possibility.
38. can, be able - Use your hands to create a gesture or motion indicating
ability or capability.
39. want - Use your hands to create a gesture or motion indicating desire
or preference.
40. think - Use your hands to create a gesture or motion indicating the act
of thinking or pondering.
41. know - Use your hands to create a gesture or motion indicating
knowledge or awareness.
42. not want - Use a negating touch or motion with your hands to indicate
the absence of desire or preference.
43. not know - Use a negating touch or motion with your hands to indicate
the absence of knowledge or awareness.
44. feel - Use your hands to create a gesture or motion indicating the
sense of touch or feeling.
45. see - Use your hands or fingers to create a gesture or motion
indicating visual perception.
46. hear - Use your hands or fingers to create a gesture or motion
indicating auditory perception.
47. not see - Use a negating touch or motion with your hands to indicate
the absence of visual perception.
48. say, talk - Use your hands or fingers to create a gesture or motion
indicating communication or speech.
49. not hear - Use a negating touch or motion with your hands to indicate
the absence of auditory perception.
50. make, do - Use your hands or fingers to create a gesture or motion
indicating action or creation.
51. give - Use your hands to create a gesture or motion indicating the act
of giving or passing something.
52. not give - Use a negating touch or motion with your hands to indicate
the absence of giving or withholding something.
53. come - Use your hands or fingers to create a gesture or motion
indicating approach or arrival.
54. go - Use your hands or fingers to create a gesture or motion indicating
departure or movement away.
55. sit, stand - Use your hands or body to create a gesture or motion
indicating sitting or standing.
56. lie, be located - Use your hands to indicate a specific place or
location.
57. there is - Use your hands or fingers to create a gesture or motion
indicating the existence or presence of something.
58. have, own - Use your hands or fingers to create a gesture or motion
indicating possession or ownership.
59. exist - Use your hands or fingers to create a gesture or motion
indicating existence.
60. be, there is/are - Use your hands or fingers to create a gesture or
motion indicating being or existence.
61. live - Use your hands or fingers to create a gesture or motion
indicating life or vitality.
62. die - Use your hands to create a gesture or motion indicating death or
cessation of life.
63. kill - Use your hands to create a gesture or motion indicating the act
of causing harm or ending a life.
64. eat - Use your hands or fingers to create a gesture or motion
indicating the action of eating.
65. drink - Use your hands or fingers to create a gesture or motion
indicating the action of drinking.

Please note that these descriptions provide a general idea of the motions
associated with each NSM prime in PTASL. It's important to learn PTASL from
a qualified instructor or through dedicated resources to gain a more
comprehensive understanding of the language and its unique tactile aspects.

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