USA-CANADA Sign in ASL for STARTLED-AMAZEMENT

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
December 1, 2005

Stuart Thiessen wrote:
> Since our conversation, I had been thinking about this too. I had  
> an idea for a symbol for that movement. I don't know if it messes  
> up the system at all to do this.  But what about this? I would read  
> this as bending the knuckles up and down. Since there is no closing  
> position, could I assume I return to the same handshape unless  
> otherwise stated?  If I was doing research writing, maybe I could  
> put the 5 hand above the knuckle symbols?  What do you think? It is  
> in the SignPuddle as amaze_2. I can delete it if it breaks other  
> rules.

Hello Stuart!
This is a very interesting writing...thank you for trying this. See  
the attached diagram for my four attempts, which are all in the  
SignPuddle under AMAZEMENT...Yours is number 4 in the attached...

Your writing is like a shorthand or a shorter way to write a  
complicated sign. It does assume some knowledge of the sign in  
advance I suspect, but it does not really break any rules, as you ask  
above...just a new way of writing and we have to see if people can  
read it...

Regarding my versions in the attached...The first two are very  
detailed. The hands are read from the center (close to the face) - 
out...Notice the Fast Symbols are symmetrically placed over the  
movement for each hand...

Technically the Finger Movements are really both the middle joint and  
the knuckle joint opening and closing...but if we used dots, we would  
not be sure if the fingers opened completely or not...so using the  
HInge movement symbol is an interesting choice...it makes it clear  
that it fully extends...

Maybe you can show these to some ASL signers to see how they feel?  
Anyone else have an opinion here on the List?...Which can you read  
better?

There is a fifth way, based on old writings that we have used in the  
1990's...later today I will try to find that and then post it too...

Have a great day, everyone!  Val ;-)


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