fQ**LFGv
d(0LIG b!9L c%5L-c**L 

    biP dQohS hSefkirk 

? d##HL d(9L d!!9PGL, d##HL.
     p%8FEy aP%JA t!b!HL,
     d(G8PN aP%JA f&%HL.

k!!HL k!9L k!3L-k!!L, k!!HL.
     d"N oQ*d(LDv d!b!HL,
     d"N oQ*d(LDv k&%HL
          fQ**LFGv.

iP"Ev u&FG u"c*MEh
     d"N a%:HL,
s!Ev u&FG u"c*MEh
     d"N dP!9MDv,
iP"Evzz u&FG u"c*MEh
     d"N d(0L-d((GyG,
jP(0L-iP(G u&FG u"c*MEh
     d"N qP!:HL.

d##HL d(9L d!!9PGL
     k!!HL k!9L k!3L-
     fQ**9PGL
          fQ**LFGv.


          UNITY
  (For My Wife)

By Don Newkirk

When did I meet you?
     Long ago in another time,
     Far away in another world.

Perfectly I perceived
     One special hour,
     One special kind
          of Unity.

Now we both have
     one attitude,
We both can live
     one life,
We both have
     the same goal,
Forever we both have
     one heart.

When I met you
     Perfectly I joined you
          in Unity.


Preface from the SignFont Architect Handbook
(Emerson & Stern Associates, Inc., 1987)

SignFont is an attempt to create a written form of Sign Language that is easy to learn, easy to read, and easy to write by hand or by computer. Other people have tried to do this before, and we are building on their experience.

We ask you to join us as a SignFont Architect to make this writing system work and continue to grow. During the past two years many people in the Deaf community in San Diego, and 40 Deaf and hearing researchers, linguists, artists, educators, and writers around the country have contributed their ideas and energy to SignFont.

This handbook is designed to help you learn SignFont in the shortest time possible. There are three main sections in the Handbook. The first is a description of the SignFont alphabet.

This is a listing of the parts of every sign that are written-Handshapes, Movements, and so on. The second section is a more detailed discussion of how to put the SignFont characters together to spell signs. Last, there is a Dictionary of several hundred signs. It includes all the signs used in this Handbook plus many other useful signs. In this section there are also helpful tables of useful pronouns, fingerspelling conventions, and numbers.

Please read through the handbook carefully and try the exercises. The answers to the exercises are printed at the end of the "How to Write" section, so you can check immediately to see if you understand the system.

? sighSfQohSt--s!NfQ--p&By. D(9LBL t(EGv n%0LEG oQ!b!LGy d(/LIG d!!Hwy dP%%LIxyAB. s!NfQ b#"DLDy p(b!LDoS0L, b#"DLDy u(b!LEy, b#"ELEy oQ!b!MDEyA aP%Dwy pR!KEwy. bU!8FLy aP%IA k%%Hwy t(EGv iP!C, _ b!8SN pS!5LEoSy | d(9LBL u!!8SFuR-u!!G.

d(9LBL b!!9PLFEv s&b!LFv s&%LJ!Lv s!NfQ d&6SIDv, aP#%LGv dQ!b!MD. u"N-s&%HL s"Gpvy k%%Hwy d(5LGL b"<Hv sahS dQiego pS"AoS p!Hz p**LHv _ r(b!LGy, dP%%LBAs, i&b!LEy, oS&0Gvy, oQ!b!LGy | d(5LGL pS"AoS d#6LDGy, d(8SGA b!!MGFxy b"Gv i(/LGy.

s!!LIvy uR!57J h"ahSdQbook t(EGv s&b!LG9Pv p(b!LDoS0L s!NfQ d!!FdRvzz. b!!LIvy bU!9Lv uP"N

b&!MFJ!. _ d!Jy, s!NfQ p&KAy. BU!9Lv b"!HL b&!MFJ! b!:SGy d!!Hwy, _

bU!/Ly b&%MGw-aP%%ABEyE, oS!Hwy, jP((LKAB. _ u!Jy, d&b!Ly p&KAy b&&EvyA. _ uP!Jy, dQ!b!LAy bU!9Lv s"Gpvy d!!Hwy. p!o&HoSL b"!HL d!!Hwy oS!o%L h"ahSdQbook, d%%LyA s"Gpzz aP%JA. IP!C bU!9Lv kErohSohhS, p&KAy, oS!!LJxL.

b!9MH u(b!LEy h"ahSdQbook K&%LHv. t(EGv a!d%MGFy. _ b&"MGE b&!MFJ! uR!57J a!!LJv oQ!b!LGy, bU!9Lv b"!HL d"6LJ!v. u(3Ly d(9PN s!0LDd.

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