How many symbols do we use in SignWriting? Part 2b

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
August 18, 2009

How to find the number of BaseSymbols in any one sign language...

First, in summary...

In the ISWA 2008...
1. There are 7 categories of symbols.
2. There are 30 groups of symbols.
3. There are 639 BaseSymbols
4. The BaseSymbols are broken down like this:

250 Hands
242 Movement
110 Faces & Heads
16 Body
8 Dynamics & Timing
5 Punctuation
8 Advanced Sorting for computers

5. To "spell" in one sign language, you do not use the 5 Punctuation  
Symbols nor the 8 Advanced Sorting symbols, plus we guess that most  
sign languages only use around 100 of the 250 hand symbols in the  
ISWA...that gives us an estimate of around 476 BaseSymbols for any one  
sign language.

6. But there is now software to "verify" the BaseSymbol estimate for a  
sign language....

a. To verifiy one sign language's number of BaseSymbols, you need a  
large dictionary file in SignPuddle.
b. In the large dictionary file, click on the icon "Symbol Frequency".
c. Count the BaseSymbols that are listed for all Symbol Groups in the  
Symbol Frequency listing for Categories 1-5.
d. Do not count any BaseSymbols in Category 6 or 7

The clue to success with the Symbol Frequency button in SignPuddle is  
not only the size of the dictionary file, but also what the entries  
are...Are they written by students who are just experimenting with  
writing signs and do not know what symbols to choose? Or is it a file  
that has been edited by a team of good dictionary editors who truly  
want every sign that is written in that dictionary? Once you collect a  
good large dictionary file, that is really based on unique signs,  
including copying signs from SignText documents that show the facial  
expressions needed while writing literature, then the Symbol Frequency  
button will really give you the data you need to determine how many  
BaseSymbols are really being used by your sign language. This is  
doable, but it just has to be carefully done, and you will have the  
statistics you need...

I will be happy to help you, Maria, learn how to get good Symbol  
Frequency data in SignPuddle. So contact me privately and I will start  
you on your way...and explain the process further...

Based on your current tiny public Maltese Sign Language Dictionary  
file in SignPuddle, with around 300 signs in it, you can click on  
Symbol Frequency right now and get this (see attached screen  
capture)...and you can start counting the BaseSymbols used so far, but  
I know you have larger dictionary files elsewhere...

So Maria...write and ask questions when you have the chance -

I hope all our feedback has helped a little...

Please see screen capture attached -

Val ;-)


-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: SymbolFrequency.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 70102 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/sw-l/attachments/20090818/51e7f2e3/attachment.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------






-------------- next part --------------



____________________________________________

SW-L SignWriting List

Post Message
SW-L at majordomo.valenciacc.edu

List Archives and Help
http://www.signwriting.org/forums/swlist/

Change Email Settings
http://majordomo.valenciacc.edu/mailman/listinfo/sw-l