Follow-up: TEENs rubbing variant

[Christopher Miller]

After I posted a summary last week regarding rubbing variants of the ASL 
signs SIXTEEN to NINETEEN, I received two more interesting replies, and 
with the permission of the respondents, I am posting them as well for the 
benefit of list members. My thanks to both respondents, Tony Wright 
(Twright at accdvm.accd.edu) ("I am a hearing non-native signer and an 
interpreter at a community college.") and a Deaf native signer who teaches 
ASL, who requested anonymity.

Tony Wright (Twright at accdvm.accd.edu) says:

"I live in South Texas, and when I worked at the residential school for the
deaf in Austin many years ago, and now in my work with young (40's and
younger) Deaf signers, I have found the "rubbing" form of 16 through 19 to
really be the only form used among them.  This is just impressionistic on
my part, not based on any quantifiable data, but the rubbing forms are the
only ones I use in conversations with Deaf friends and acquaintances.  I am
35 years old, and most of the Deaf people I socialize and work with are
under 40.  Would say the average age in my social/work group is 25."

"What I thought might be an interesting footnote to this discussion is a 
comment by [a teacher who is a Deaf native signer, identity withheld for 
privacy — CM] during a workshop [similar identifying info withheld — CM] 
where I was an interpreting student.  When one of the workshop 
participants used one of the "rubbing" forms in an workshop activity, [the 
teacher]told her that the "rubbing" forms are really only used by 
teenagers, and give a person's signing a juvenile look."

 From the native Deaf signing respondent, some rather interesting 
observations both about the way the rubbing variant is made, and about 
grammatical (as opposed to sociolinguistic) constraints on the 
distribution of this variant and alternatives:

"One thing that might be of interest to
you is the rule we have here in Indiana concerning the use of the
'rubbing' variant and the 'A-handshape to digit-handshape' variant.  In
Indiana, we tend to use primarily the 'rubbing' variant and I disagree
that the rubbing is unidirectional.  If I understand right, a
unidirectional rubbing would show the the finger rubbing towards the base
of the thumb (downward).  I've tried to replicate such a movement as I
understand it and it's not what we do.  We repeatedly rub the finger back
and forth in a small space centered around the joint of the thumb."

"Now, back to the rule- I digressed about the rubbing movement- sorry :)
We use the rubbing variant for all the numbers in most contexts: regular
teen numerals, phone numbers (i.e. 420-1920 would be 4-2-0 19-20),
addresses (517 Main St. would be 5-17) but when we are giving the year,
the rule changes.  When we sign 1920 (year), we would then use the
A-handshape to the 9-digit, and then sign 20.  This rule applies for any
year you sign but only for the first part.  For example, 1819 would be
signed 18- A-handshape to 8-digit, then the 9-rubbing variant for 19."

"(...) I had a lengthy discussion with another Deaf ASL instructor who's 
been teaching ASL for a loooonng time.  He was the one to make me realize 
the rule.  I didn't even realize I, myself, did that also. This might be 
just an Indiana dialect thing...I'm not sure about other regions."

Regards to all,

Chris Miller

¶ Christopher Miller
¶ Professeur associé
¶ Département de linguistique et de didactique des langues
¶ Université du Québec à Montréal
¶ C.P. 8888, Succursale « Centre-Ville »
¶ Montréal QC H3C 3P8
¶ Canada
¶
¶ +1 514 987-3000 poste 2361 (voix)
¶ miller.christopher at uqam.ca
¶ christophermiller at mac.com