SignWriting List
December 7, 2004
Stephen Slevinski wrote:
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pure mechanics, verticle writing centers the signs based on the head.
Without lanes, the head is always centered in the middle. When you
add lanes, you can put the head off center to the left or right.
Putting the head to the left will move the entire sign. (The hands
move with the head, because the sign is centered by the head).
Stephen is correct about this. There is a difference between
1. placing a sign to the right or left of center...just your hands and
arms....
in comparison to
2. actually shifting weight so that the head and shoulders actually
move over to the right or left of center...To write the weight
shifting from the torso, we use SignLanes in vertical writing...
We can write number 1 above without SignLanes. And that can be
written horizontally or vertically, and people can read it...
But SignLanes are something specific to vertical writing (number 2
above). The weight of the body shifts so far right or left, that the
head itself is no longer in the center, but the entire weight is in a
right or left SignLane...
That is why our DAC staff members requested vertical writing years
ago...because they were writing weight shifts...
Stephen is correct that if you sit on a chair and sign, one SignLane
to the right and left is enough weight shifting for 99 per cent of
signwritten documents. In some very animated storytelling, a second
lane further out to each side does happen, but so rarely that at this
time I think it is best to leave SignText with three lanes...center
and right and left...that is plenty for now!
We have never had a computer program give us SignLane capability
before, or vertical typing before either, so this is new to everyone,
and it will take time for me to teach about weight shifts, once we
have the software developed...
Val ;-)
Valerie Sutton
Sutton@SignWriting.org
1. SignWritingSite
http://www.SignWriting.org
Read & Write Sign Languages
2. SignBankSite
http://www.SignBank.org
Sign Language Dictionaries