[sw-l] Are SignSpellings really synonyms?

[Ingvild Roald]

I think this is just a discussion about what to call these different ways of
writing the same - I agree that they are not synonym signs or words but they
are synonyme symbols = symbols that means the same and can be interchanged
in the same sign without chanign the meaning. Maybe we should call them
'equivalent' symbols, to avoid misunderstandings ... But hte fact that the
very same sign, with focus on the same particulars, can still be written in
different ways, needs to be looked into. With the Roam alphabet of our
western spoken/written languages, we can choose between capital letters and
ordinary letters. In some languages the capital letters are used a lot more
than they are in other languages (I don't know if German still uses capital
letters for all nouns, but at least I know that English uses a lot more
capital letters than Norwegian does). Still, if a message is written all
with capital letters or all without them, it is as understandable as before.
So I think this is a little like what we are facing here: which of two
perfectly usable symbols should be preferred in each instant. And that will
show with time and usage.

Ingvild




>From: "Valerie Sutton" <sutton at signwriting.org>
>Reply-To: sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu
>To: sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu
>Subject: [sw-l] Are SignSpellings really synonyms?
>Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2005 10:32:41 -0700
>
>SignWriting List
>April 29, 2004
>
>Stephen Slevinski wrote:
>>How many IMWA symbol synonyms are there anyway?  I've know about them, but
>>never really researched this aspect of the IMWA.
>
>Hello Everyone, Stuart, Stefan and Stephen -
>Thanks for this interesting message...Actually I think we should be careful
>about assuming these are synonyms...I am not so sure that is true. These
>are different spellings of exactly the same sign...
>
>Let me give you an example in English:
>
>color
>colour
>
>Both are the same word. The second spelling is used more in Great Britain.
>The first spelling is commonly used in the US...But I read both as the same
>word...
>
>Is that a synonym? I looked synonym up in a dictionary and it said it was:
>
>-----
>
>synonym
>n : two words that can be interchanged in a context are said to be
>synonymous relative to that context [syn: equivalent word]
>
>----------
>
>but that is not a different spelling....They are talking about two
>completely different words that mean the same thing...
>
>In the beginning of writing English, centuries ago, there were multiple
>spellings for different words, and over time, through a natural evolution,
>one or two became the norm...I believe that is what is happening with
>SignWriting...and that is fine. Let it evolve!!
>
>Can Stuart give us an example of a synonym in ASL?...can you write both
>signs in SignPuddle please, Stuart, and then show them to us...smile?
>
>Val ;-)