From Adam Frost

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
May 17, 2004

Dear SW List, Adam and Charles -
We actually have a way to write the details between 9 and F, or 6 and W 
in ASL, and also the handshapes that Charles mentions, and I am 
including them all in the IMWA. I am still adding symbols and it is a 
lot of work, but I hope to have IMWA 1.0 by the end of this month...Val 
;-)

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Charles Butler wrote:
> We struggled in Brazil when we were translating the textbook and 
> choosing handshapes that are used in Libras.  We had several we 
> debated over, and several that do not occur in ASL (at least to my 
> knowledge).
>  
> 1) Crooked little finger.  This is used in the sign "amante" for 
> "lover".  It's a deliberate variant of friend (with the crooked index 
> finger) to indicate a more intimate relationship.
>  
> 2) Noiva (Fiance/Fiancee).  This is a variant of the "7" hand.  The 
> thumb touches the middle joint of the ring finger to display the 
> engagement ring.  As far as I know, and my research in ASL has not 
> been that extensive, this variant is not shown in ASL, but exists in 
> Libras.
>  
> 3) Droga.  This end position for the "7" hand has the ring finger 
> pointed outward.  The thumb flicks the ring finger twice for "drugs".  
> The beginning position would be the thumb  on top of the ring finger 
> (like the W) to get the mechanics necessary to flick the finger.  I'm 
> not sure how to write either the Noiva or the Droga hand (either 
> closed or open) if one is going to show the difference between the "7" 
> closed hand and the "Droga" closed hand.