[sw-l] ITALY QUESTION...Top View or Front View?

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
April 27, 2005

Barbara Pennacchi wrote:
> Wait a minute. If I've understood you correctly, you're citing
> something that in your paper version manual hasn't been discussed in
> depth.

Yes. That is true. Which version of the Lessons in SignWriting textbook
are you using now? It was a long time ago, that you started that
project, plus you are right...that subject needs to be explained
better...absolutely!


> So far, the whole manual explained all signs from the receptive point
> of view and, implicitly, from the "front" view. The "top view" is, if
> I've understood correctly, a relatively recent addition to SignWriting
> and (IMHO) a good one, since it shows easily the finer details of
> neutral space usage. However, I was under the impression that "front
> view" was the default way of writing and that both symbols were
> equally correct within this point of view.

Ok. It does get confusing!

First, I believe you meant from the Expressive View in your paragraph
above. We teach the entire Lessons in SignWriting Textbook from the
Expressive View, and the last chapter talks about the Receptive
View....

The Expressive View is from the signer's perspective, or from your own
perspective. And the Receptive View is from the audience's perspective,
or as if you are facing a person sign, and you watch them sign to
you...

So the Expressive and Receptive Viewpoints are referring to the ENTIRE
SignWriting document...the overall viewpoint taken...

But when I talked about Front View and Top View...I was referring to
viewpoints on individual symbols...When we discuss symbols we are
always assuming that we are in the EXPRESSIVE view in general...but
when you are in the Expressive View, you can choose to see individual
handshapes or arrows parallel to the Front Wall, or parallel to the
Floor...so we see symbols related to planes in space, and planes give a
specific viewpoint on individual symbols...

What does IMHO mean?

Val ;-)