Classifiers in SignPuddle

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
February 10, 2006

On Feb 10, 2006, at 11:59 AM, CWren at doe.k12.ga.us wrote:
> The trouble with adding classifiers is that you can't really do  
> generic classifiers.  The handshape carries meaning, but the motion  
> depends entirely on the unique circumstances you are trying to  
> depict.  Like my vehicle swerving (will try to film it this  
> weekend) that is describing that particular instance where I  
> fishtailed on the road.  I have swerved or fishtailed other times,  
> but I would use the classifier differently, because the situation  
> was different. I'm also not clear on the use of the 'tense' symbol  
> to identify classifiers.  How and where is that placed?  I have  
> read what's in the textbook, but I don't really understand how to  
> use that symbol to show a classifier.

I understand your points about placing the classifiers in  
SignPuddle...it is a hard problem to document them...I just asked  
Steve if we someday could develop a way to archive Sign-Sentences  
created in SignText, automatically up on the web in a web directory  
of Sign-Sentences...and that could be a way to record and archive  
different variations of classifiers, seeing them in sentence-context?  
do you agree?

Regarding the Tension Symbol used sometimes, when writing  
classifiers, the Tension symbol is used to show placing something  
imaginary in space...there is a little umph or feeling of tension  
when you place it in space...Sometimes it can touch something else  
too, like showing a house sitting on a hill...the feeling of sitting,  
has a tense feeling...see the last sign in the attached sentence...





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