nondominant handshapes

[Cormac Leonard]

Hi there,

there are a number of signs in Irish Sign Language (ISL) that use a 'U'
handshape (index and middle fingers extended and unspread from fist) for the
base hand configuration, including IN, SCHOOL and WAIT.

Lorraine Leeson who is an ISL linguist is on this list and hopefully can
illustrate more.


Cormac  Leonard

----- Original Message -----
From: "petra.n.eccarius.1" <eccarius at PURDUE.EDU>
To: <SLLING-L at ADMIN.HUMBERC.ON.CA>
Sent: Saturday, March 20, 2004 11:01 PM
Subject: nondominant handshapes


> Hello list members,
>
> I am looking at 2-handed signs cross-linguistically for a paper I'm
> working on, and I've come up with a couple of questions:
>
> 1) For those of you working on sign languages other than ASL:
>
> do any of you have sources (or information) regarding the possible
> nondominant (passive) hands of Battison's type 3 signs (different
> handshapes, one active, one passive) in your sign languages?  (I am
> especially interested in languages that allow nondominant handshapes other
> than the basic seven Battison names (B A S C O 1 5).)
>
> 2) For those of you who work on or use ASL:
>
> can any of you think of examples of type 3 signs with nondominant
> handshapes other than those basic seven?  I have seen variants of BERRY
> (or was it CHERRY?) with an extended pinky (I) on the nondominant hand
> instead of a 1, and I know that there is an older form of FINAL that
> I've seen used from time to time which uses an I with a 1 on the dominant
> hand.  Can any of you think of more examples? (I know they are rare!)
>
> Thank you in advance for any help you can provide.  Feel free to respond
> to me personally (eccarius at purdue.edu) or answer the list if you think it
> would be of interest to everyone.
>
> All the best,
>
> Petra Eccarius
> (PhD student, Purdue University)
>