Writing in Columns versus in Rows

[Charles Butler]

Hi there Nana,

When Sign Writing was first invented and published, it was written left to right in rows, following the "English writing" method.  Then one day, the Deaf in the Sign Writing office began to write vertically, and a whole bunch of things became apparent.  One could more easily distinguish left from right, and the "visual center" of a sign.  

Also, it harked back to when Valerie first invented the system and she was writing it on stenography rolls.  It comes out looking like a slide show down the page.  In some ways, it also shows that Sign Writing is truly writing signs as a separate language from the spoken language.  

Those of you in Asia are used to seeing Chinese characters written in this fashion, we in the West have not, but because computer programs are set up the way they are, at the moment the Sign Writer 4.4 is still horizontal when you type into it.  I am sure that with upgrades the "vertical sign" system will probably be preferred.  

The horizontal system is good when you are trying to show a gloss with a spoken language (word for word), but the vertical system is, in my opinion, better when you are trying to show the sign language by itself.

Charles

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Nana Dumitra 
  To: SW-L at admin.humberc.on.ca 
  Sent: Sunday, October 19, 2003 6:33 AM
  Subject: Writing in Columns versus in Rows


  Dear SW List,

   

  While going through some SW materials, I found both writing in rows and in columns. Does anyone know why that is so? Is this just preference or is there some "higher" meaning behind it? What is used more often?

   

  A curious "SignWritingBaby",

  Nana

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