Signs for FUN and THE...ASL? ;-)

[Stuart Thiessen]

Linguistically, the word "the" fits in the category of words called 
determiners. In English, it is called the definite article.  Some 
languages have them and some languages do not.  There is some debate 
about whether or not ASL really has determiners or not.  Sometimes the 
index finger pointing at a specific object or location can sometimes be 
understood like the word "the" in English.  For example,

-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: text/enriched
Size: 405 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/sw-l/attachments/20050815/1c3314ca/attachment.bin>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: ASL-Ex-Det.jpg
Type: application/applefile
Size: 35542 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/sw-l/attachments/20050815/1c3314ca/attachment-0001.bin>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: ASL-Ex-Det.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 9360 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/sw-l/attachments/20050815/1c3314ca/attachment.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------

The sign circled in red could either be interpreted as a determiner 
meaning "the" or as a demonstrative pronoun meaning "that". It is not 
the word "the" but it seems to share a similar function in ASL. In some 
languages, the 3rd person pronoun is used liked a determiner or a 
demonstrative pronoun. So, in this case, the form and look of the 
determiner or demonstrative pronoun in ASL looks alot like a regular 
pronoun even though it is used a little differently.

Thanks,

Stuart

On Aug 15, 2005, at 9:39, bwhite wrote:

> I agree... with the word THE.? I didn't think it was ASL.
> ?
> bw?
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Valerie Sutton
> To: sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu
> Sent: Sunday, August 14, 2005 7:59 PM
> Subject: [sw-l] Signs for FUN and THE...ASL? ;-)
>
> SignWriting List
> August 14, 2005
>
> Hello Brenda!
> The sign for FUN makes sense, although it is written incorrectly. You 
> know, SignPuddle is a lot of fun, because anyone can add signs and 
> sometimes we experiment with this or that, and then leave the 
> half-written sign in SignPuddle by mistake! Then it needs to be 
> cleaned up later, when we try to send an email!!...grin...so I will 
> clean up FUN and post it next message...
>
> I didn't know there was such a thing as a sign for THE? That certainly 
> isn't ASL, is it? Does real ASL really have a sign for THE?
>
> ? Val ;-)
>
> -------------------------
>
> On Aug 14, 2005, at 8:21 PM, bwhite wrote:
>
>>
>> I thought the first circle was THE and the second circle FUN.?? ???
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: text/enriched
Size: 2838 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/sw-l/attachments/20050815/1c3314ca/attachment-0002.bin>