ASL how to write WHAT GOES AROUND...

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
May 17, 2006

Adam Frost wrote:
> And to tell you the truth, ASL grammar "screams" for and object to  
> give and get in the current translation. Val is right that it would  
> take more than just a few signs to sign it in ASL. Two or three  
> hypothetical scenarios would have to be shown to explain what is  
> being said.
>
> Now that it looks like I have contradicted myself in saying that it  
> would work as a translation and then it won't, I will explain what  
> I mean. Because English is a majority language, most(!) deaf people  
> have some basic understanding of it. Therefore, it can be  
> understood what is meant with the current translation, which is  
> more accurately called a transliteration.


Yes...well explained Adam, and I can't imagine how anyone could argue  
this...of course it is not a true translation because idiomatic  
phrases are based on so much more than just the words or signs  
themselves, but based on culture and the understanding of the world,  
based on that language's perspectives...very complex!

Meanwhile, I get daily email from very nice people (strangers) who  
innocently ask for something written in SignWriting which they  
themselves do not realize is very hard to translate or write! This  
one was for a tatoo in SignWriting...

You won't believe the next one...see next message...a Deaf man asked  
for the tombstone of his wife to be written in SignWriting (I think  
that is what he wants, but I am not sure)...

Val ;-)