Writing ASL Classifier Handshapes

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
September 29, 2003

Dear SW List Members:
A friend of mine, who teaches ASL at a college, sent me the following
list of Classifier handshapes in ASL, and asked if I would write the
handshapes in SignWriting...As you know, I am not an ASL expert, and
writing from word descriptions has the danger that I may make a
mistake...I have a rule that I only write from video or from watching a
person sign in front of me...so I would have to guess at some of the
word descriptions below, and I don't want to do that...so...Is there
anyone interested in helping? Take a look at the list of classifiers
below. Let's start with the first group....CL:A....How would you write
those in SignWriting? Please post them to the List, with a GIF or JPEG
- Once we are done, we can list these handshapes on our web site for
other ASL teachers to use...And some of these may be used in other
signed languages around the world too?.,..Many thanks for your help,
everyone! - Val ;-)

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ASL CLASSIFIER SIGNS
CL:A (Noun) (Verb/Action)
House (neighborhood) Cup (Key turning)
Building Trophy
Statue Bottle (any objects in a row, sweep in a row, scattered all over)
CL:AA
Any bottles or thing on shelves Fishing
Houses or Buildings
CL:B (bent)
Pot-belly pile of fruit basket
Handful of dirty
CL:B (Palm-up)
Flat or smooth objects Book-lay car movment/accident
Leaf Paper -printed
Flat Road Mirror
Mail-file in box Picture
CL:BB
Table Floor/Rug Walk (shoes)
Shelves Closet/Gym Locker Table fall
Land Bus door 2 car movment/accident
Paper fold / stacks Shape of cabinet /box
Snow -thickest (foot)
CL:C
Cup Book (thin/thick) Pull drawer Move toy car
Glass TDD Move book/paper
Bottle Stack of papers Carry thing
Can Small box Held object
Vase
Jar Snow thicker
CL:CC
Bowl Box-shape Move the bowl
Large can Shape thing on Bring the book
Thick pipe wall/ceiling Move toy car
Pail Hold book
Pole Long couch
Manhole cover Wheel
Lamp - shape
CL:F
Coins Bean shape Spill spot
Buttons Bead shape
Watch
Spots
2
CLASSIFIER SIGNS
CL:FF (Noun) (Verb/Action)
Pipe-straigh/curve Bike locker Eye movement
Rope
CL:G or Q
Thin- things Thin/thick Hair Zoom-car/person
Thick - things Food- small
Rug Snow/water flood-thin
Dust Earring
CL:GG or QQ
Frames Band or thick line/strip
Disk-thin shape
CL: ii
Line - thing Person - skinny Line (goes where)
String
CL:LL CL:L
Pancakes Steak Picture-wall (fall) Disk-put-in
Dishes chips Hamburger (shrink)
Plate Cards
Hamburger Shape on wall/ceiling
CL:O
Held magazine or sheet of paper Give or put or move them
CL:00
Cable wire Strong pipe
CL:RR
Rope Decoration Roll Decorate the roll
CL:S
Car door handle Broom Driving Held objects move
Pan handle Ref door Move the pan (cooking) Cut-wood (UN)
Drawer (pull-out) Pitcher (Fist) pull up person
Hand fist Beer mug
CL:SS
Car wheel steer Pan handle Driving/Riding (car/bike)
Bike/Motorcyle handle Move the pan (cooking)
CL:U
Size: Paintbrush Painting with brush
CLASSIFIER SIGN
CL:3 Car park Car movement (Car, train, motorcycle, bike)
3 person movement
CL:33 2 Car movement (different directional)
2 Car park
3 persons movement
CL:4
4 persons Dress-stripe/plaid Talking (mouth)
Punk-hair Fence (CL:44) Leaking (little)
CL:44
People in long line Bed mattress raffle Hair - breeze in air
Curtain-window Leaking (lot)
Eyelashs Long lists People look at me/you
CL:44
People passing copying machine Can/Bottle run in machine
Newspaper thur press Box/Package in carry
slow motion use "mm' fast motion use (blowing)
CL:5
Tree stand Root Hand - check under thing
Baseball Dome shape
Fruit: apple, orange House/building
CL:55 * 0
Old fashion dress Ball shape - sphere Become larger or smaller
Lot cars stand in line Curly hair
Scads/many cars Audience Lot people is going
Thousand people Many fish in bowl (any animals)
Cars traffic like 4 lane Highway
CL:10 (where it set)
Bottle, can, vase House, building Drive back/forth (directional)
CL:RECT
Check Brick Name Label
Index card I.D. card Stamps
Palm or finger point down Bend or like claw Many/scad - forward
Palm or finger point up Individual fingers wiggle Many/size - backward
Hand lay as horizon Moving or running Give/put/move/bring 5