forefinger and index finger

[Dan Goncharoff]

Hunter's father Brian Spanjer said, "It's a symbol. It's an actual sign, a
registered sign, through S.E.E."

I agree the article indicated a misunderstanding of finger terms.

DanG


On Wed, Aug 29, 2012 at 1:14 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> Subject:      Re: forefinger and index finger
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Dan,
>
> I did watch the video, and the sign is what I imagined (except that
> he is a two-gunned signer).  I ask you to reread the first sentence
> of the *text*, and explain how it corresponds to the sign.  How can
> one cross a forefinger with an index finger?  And also tell me where
> the *text* explains how the sign denotes both first and last name
> (unless it means to say that Hunter Spanjer has registered that sign
> to be his full name).
>
> Joel
>
> At 8/29/2012 12:32 PM, Dan Goncharoff wrote:
> >Since the article explains how the gesture can mean the entire name, and
> >the video shows the motion, I am guessing you didn't actually look at them
> >before sending them.
> >
> >DanG
> >
> >
> >On Wed, Aug 29, 2012 at 12:10 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:
> >
> > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > > -----------------------
> > > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> > > Subject:      forefinger and index finger
> > >
> > >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > > The first line of a story that a deaf preschooler has been told to
> > > change his Signing Exact English name because "it violates a rule
> > > that forbids anything in the school that looks like a weapon":
> > >
> > > "Three-and-a-half  year old Hunter Spanjer, who is deaf, signs his
> > > name by crossing his forefinger and index finger and moving his hand
> > > up and down."
> > >
> > > Huh?  I don't mean to make fun of a serious issue, but either this
> > > child is seriously double-jointed or the writer doesn't know his ...
> > > forefinger from his index finger.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/school-asks-deaf-preschooler-change-sign-language-name-191629255.html
> > >
> > > The article also says "To his family, friends and those who know the
> > > Signing Exact English (S.E.E.) language that the Grand Island, Neb.,
> > > boy uses, that gesture uniquely means 'Hunter Spanjer.'
> > > "  Really?  How does it denote "Spanjer"?  (I suspect all it means is
> > > "hunter".)
> > >
> > > Joel
> > >
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> > >
> >
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> >The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
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