Remove using 5-hand or heel

[Stuart Thiessen]

Here's a thought. Should we just replace the floor orientations of the 
"5" hand with the heel symbol? Will we really need to use the floor 
versions of the "5" handshape where we couldn't use the heel handshape 
and the wall versions of the heel handshape where we couldn't use the 
"5" handshape symbol?

I'm really just focusing on the base shape itself.

Thanks,

Stuart

On Dec 14, 2006, at 14:25, Valerie Sutton wrote:

> SignWriting List
> December 14, 2006
>
> HEEL OF HAND discussion...see Val's message below...
>
> Adam Frost wrote:
>> I can read the heel with more ease.
>> Adam
> ---------
>
> Adam Frost wrote:
>> The longer heel is less confusing with the square.
>> Adam
>
> <Remove3.png>
>
>
> ---------
>
> Charles Butler wrote:
>> Looking at it at first glance, it looks far too much like the 
>> thumb-ASL-A hand, even though the split is different.  When I see an 
>> angled finger on something that looks like a square, that´s an A, 
>> whether a square or a short rectangle, and a short rectangle looks 
>> like an A hand, not the long hand of a neutral flat hand.  Maybe in 
>> writing it is more distinct but the computer makes them awfully 
>> similar.
>>  My quick thoughts.  My first guess was two A hands moving against 
>> each other, which is not your intent.
>>  Charles
>
>
> Val's message...
>
> The funny thing about this, Charles, is that you and I used to write 
> the Heel of the Hand all the time, back in the 1980's. We just didn't 
> call it that. At that time, we didn't have an Overhead View, or Top 
> View. Before the Top View, we always wrote the Flat Hand from the 
> Front View.
>
> I remember it was a big adjustment for everyone to get used to the Top 
> View, and we will always use the Top View for accurate writing and I 
> think it works well. But there are a few rare signs, like the sign for 
> BOAT, that is hard to see in the Top View, and for those rare signs, 
> the Heel of the Hand (the Front View of the Flat Hand) has value.
>
>
> Today we write the ASL sign for FINGERSPELLING like this, from the Top 
> View:
>
> <fingerspelling.png>
>
> Back in the 1980's, we wrote the sign for FINGERSPELLLING in ASL like 
> this, using the Heel of Hand symbol with spread fingers (the symbol 
> back then was not quite as square...it was a little more like a 
> rectangle...which I think we should try):
>
> <fingerspelling_2.png>
>
> So I propose that I make the Heel of Hand symbol a little more like a 
> rectangle, like the one Adam said was less confusing, and maybe that 
> will help? If it is more rectangular it cannot be confused with other 
> symbols as much...
>
> Stuart and Philippe...what are your opinions?
>
> Val ;-)
>
>
>
>