10 Handshape

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
September 28, 2005

Barbara Pennacchi wrote:
> There is a problem: at a first glance it's really easy to mistake  
> one set of the Heel-of-Hand Symbols with the fist symbol, because  
> the differences are really minimal (maybe the rectangle should be  
> MORE "rectanglish"?)

Yes! You are absolutely right...that is why we stopped using the Heel  
of the Hand symbols around 1990, they were discarded. We started  
using the Top View, with the space in the knuckle joint because at  
least, from the Top View, you can see the whole hand and there is no  
question what you are looking at...

And this decision was not taken lightly. I had a whole group of Deaf  
native signers, the DAC, agree upon this from experience...

The Heel of the Hand is sitting in the IMWA because it is historic,  
but if it is to be used, it has to be better defined...

Val ;-)