Writing Dialogues in Signed Languages

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
September 7, 2005

Stuart Thiessen wrote:

> In our case, perhaps we might want to borrow something from  
> glossing and use a subscripted number to indicate a specific space  
> or something. Who knows?  We will have to play with this and see  
> what the writers and the readers like.
>

Thanks for this message....Actually I think there is a very visual  
and rather easy solution to writing Reference Points in Sign Language  
conversations. Ingvild just started to discuss how it would be  
done...So glosses or subscript numbers most likely will not be  
necessary, although the author could use them if they prefer...just  
as long as they also know of the other more visual options available  
to them in SignWriting...We have written large group writing  
before...up to 50 people at a time on a stage, all moving around  
central themes...so I know it can be done...

Regarding color...you are right that a writing system cannot be  
dependent on color to survive, but on screen it is lovely! And I am  
one of those lucky people who can print in color for almost nothing,  
because I print myself on my home printers and I get the color ink  
donated!

Val ;-)