SVG version of our IMWA symbols

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
May 12, 2007

Sandy -
It is my understanding that the terms are this:

1. SignWriting Facial Expressions
Write the facial expressions and mouth movements of native signed  
languages such as PAH and "po", "vee", "lum" &c of BSL
(needs more standardization of course ;-)

2. Mundbilder is "MouthingWriting" (writing mouthing of spoken  
language words while signing)

3. Mundbildschrift is "German SpeechWriting" (writing the movements  
of the mouth of German spoken language having NO connection to signing)

All three are using SignWriting symbols (with some new symbols that  
extend the symbolset that Stefan developed)...

And yes...all could be written down...that is an interesting point...

I have one concern only...that if we cover up the eyebrows section of  
the faces...then no other symbols but mouths could be seen...

but I believe for SpeechWriting that is no problem!

But for SignWriting Facial Expressions...it would be a problem  
because I often write eyebrows combined with the mouth movements

I guess it depends on whether it is solely mouth movements, or also  
other facial expressions, that are being written...

Other than that I think this vertical configuration looks interesting!

Fingerspelling is easy vertically, when we are writing vertically, so  
I think you have a good point!


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On May 12, 2007, at 8:38 AM, Sandy Fleming wrote:

> On Sun, 2007-05-06 at 08:21 -0700, Charles Butler wrote:
>> Sandy, Valerie, and others.
>
>> The only drawback I see is the Gaebardenschrift methodology for
>> full-mouth articulation as a multiple overlapping head would not
>> easily be possible using this method.
>
> Charles, Val, Stefan,
>
> As you all know, SignWriting was originally written horizontally, but
> vertical SignWriting is now preferred. Fingerspelling seems to be  
> going
> the same way, with a recent suggestion of vertical fingerspelling  
> on the
> list finding approval. After all, once you decide to write vertically,
> anything that's written horizontally within the column is "going  
> against
> the grain" and it should come as no surprise that writing it  
> vertically
> is an improvement.
>
> I would suggest that Mundbildschrift could also better be written
> vertically within vertical SignWriting (see attached diagram and  
> excuse
> the badly-drawn mouths!).
>
> As I've said before, I prefer faces to be opaque so that any  
> background
> doesn't render the expression difficult to read. This seems to work  
> very
> well with vertical Mundbildschrift, as the head circle doesn't  
> interfere
> with any other part of the facial expression and, after the intial
> expression which might contain eyes and nose, only the mouthings are
> shown.
>
> I understand that horizontal Mundbildschrift my be preferred in
> educational texts aimed at helping Deaf children who are learning to
> write in an oral language, but for normal SignWriting texts for  
> everyday
> readers, this seems to me to be a very clear, natural and compact  
> way to
> write Mundbildshrift, and no problems with it going against the grain
> and right out of the column!
>
> To me, MUndbildschrift isn't just an education concern, it's also
> important for everyday SignWriting to show "native" sign language lip
> patterns (such as the "po", "vee", "lum" &c of BSL).
>
> Any thoughts?
>
> Sandy
>
> <vertical.png>