searching for some ASL signs

[Linda Lee Lonning]

On Thu, 11 Nov 1999 Rna8arnold at aol.com wrote:

> I would like to thank everyone for their respective comments.  However one of
> my other questions has not yet been addressed.  I do remember seeing a
> specialized dictionary of ASL for mathematics somewhere. So I am wondering of
> anyone knows of other specialized dictionaries for scientific terms?
>
> As for the issue of fingerspelling yes you are all correct to point out its
> usefulness. But this should not be an excuse to debunk inventiveness. Every
> language needs to expand and invent news words that's how any language, such
> as English or German, grows and develops. In fact new words are being
> invented all the time, especially in the area of technology and science. For
> example: superstrings, and superconductivity (try fingerspelling that one
> out, whew!). The same should be true for signed languages. There's nothing
> wrong with creating a new sign say for SUPERCONDUCTIVITY but as long it gets
> accepted by the Deaf community as a valid sign. If on the other
> fingerspelling SUPERCONDUCTIVITY is more preferred by the sign language
> community then that's how it is to be signed.
>
> So folks try not to be narrow-minded but be all-inclusive of both
> fingerspelling and signing.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Richard Arnold
>
Hello Richard and everyone...

As both a postsecondary-level interpreter at a Wisconsin University and
also a community-based interpreter employed with several area agencies I
have had this dialog of what to do with specialized vocabulary both in the
classroom and in the different work places I enter throughout southeastern
Wisconsin.  Some ideas and comments:

-Have you ever worked with a Deaf interpreter whose first language is ASL?
Ask him/her for guidance.

-Ask a Deaf professional in a field which encounters the terminology which
you are researching.

-It is my understanding that (too?) many a "dictionary of signs" have been
written by Hearing folk historically.  Where are/did the signs they report
in their literature come from and yes, are they accepted by the Deaf
community?  Do the signs follow basic patterns of handshape and movement
and the like which researchers have identified as being found in "ASL
signs"?

-As far as acceptance into the body of lexicon germane to a particular
language, I think that not only does phonological production play a role
in acceptance or rejection of a sign, but also plain ol' "where did this
sign originate from?" is a factor.  I think that the Hearing trend to
"initialize" signs often may lead to non-acceptance of a "sign."  I have
seen Deaf people wait for the emergence of a more arbitrary-abstract
choice at times.

-At Deaf clubs I also see signs "emerge" from abbreviations, e.g.--money
market = mm; mutual fund--mf.  Interlocutors typically do fingerspell
these terms initially, though, then use these signs.  The reason I feel
these may be called signs is because I notice these kinds of
abbreviation-forms used in my area, not just within one or two isolated
dialogues.

Some thoughts,

Linda Lonning, BS, CI & CT
Staff interpreter:  Univ. of Wisconsin--Milwaukee  --and--
Community-based interpreter employed in the Milwaukee area