wrist flex versus rotation

[Cherie Wren]

When I write the sign YES, there is a palm facing change, but it is a wrist flex.  Initially my palm is facing out, then my wrist bends and my palm is now facing down, then repeat.  CAN can be signed with just a wrist flex, although you will more often see it with a larger downward movement, but there is palm facing change.  When I sign this sign, which I gloss as WOW, the angle of the wrist is not changing, it is at roughly a 90 degree angle to the forearm, that angle stays roughly the same throughout.  I think of (thought of) a wrist flex as a change in that angle between hand and forearm...A rotation I saw as that angle staying the same, but the forearm twisting.  

cherie

----- Original Message ----
From: Valerie Sutton <signwriting at MAC.COM>
To: List SignWriting <sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu>
Sent: Friday, July 6, 2007 3:44:55 PM
Subject: [sw-l] wrist flex versus rotation

SignWriting List
July 6, 2007

On Jul 6, 2007, at 12:17 PM, CWren at doe.k12.ga.us wrote:
> OK, this one confuses me.  My forearms are aimed half way between  
> straight forward and parallel with the chest, but feel more  
> straight forward to me, The movement feels like it is in the  
> forearm, not in the wrist, to me.  How can I tell the difference?


OK. There is a clear difference.

1. A Rotation Symbol marks the change from one palm facing to another  
palm facing.

2. A Flex Wrist Symbol does NOT write the change of palm facing, but  
instead it writes the change of the angle of the hand, when no change  
of palm facing occurs.

In this sign (see attached), you still have white palms towards your  
body no matter what the angle of the hand, so you are writing the  
change of Angle:









       
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