ZURICH: WRITING REPETITIVE MOTION...or Question Spelling FROG/FROSCH

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
August 2, 2003

WRITING REPETITIVE MOTION...PART 3...

TWO OR MORE HAND POSITIONS continued
So when are dots used? Dots are added when the writer is trying to
throw out the beginning hand position, and only write the finishing
position...

The dots were not invented until people wanted to abbreviate or shorten
their writing...The dot was invented to show the ending position of a
two-position sign that "closes"...

But not everyone around the world knew that...and like all writing
systems...symbols evolve with use. After awhile the dots were used more
than necessary, and they even started to become movement symbols in
their own right...Take a look at these examples:


4. Close-Close-Close
The hand closes three times...close-close-close....The first handshape
is not written because it is only a tiny opening and doesn't really
hold any meaning...so the emphasis in number 4 is on the closing
position three times...There is no traveling other than the movement
Up-and-Over...

5. Close-Close-Close combined with Touch-Touch-Touch

6. Close-Close-Close combined with Touch-Touch-Touch moving forward
up-and-over (Hump-Hump)

7. Close-Close-Close combined with Touch-Touch-Touch moving straight
forward...

8. Close-Close-Close combined with Touch-Touch-Touch moving straight
forward...but the first handshape is added for accuracy...

Which one do you like best?



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