How many symbols do we use in SignWriting?

Tue Aug 18 22:26:23 UTC 2009

SignWriting List
August 18, 2009

On Aug 18, 2009, at 2:58 PM, MARIA AZZOPARDI wrote:
> Just to illustrate an example of how a sign in LSM, may become  
> standard
> see attachment. The first example has been written by a signer who  
> configured his hands
> slightly differently - he just wrote what he saw. However a more  
> frequent
> handshape used in Maltese Sign Language was chosen as 'standard' - and
> when checked with several Deaf people the second simplified version  
> was
> read with no problem whatsoever. Maria

Hi Maria!
I really enjoyed looking at your attached document in Word, and I  
created a graphic from it, for this email message...see attached  
below...

I really applaud the work you are doing. It is a hard job, but that is  
the point of the dissertation is to do that kind of hard work...

One of the reasons I love Nancy Romero's writing in SignWriting is  
because she has a very simplified style of writing...Nancy has been  
writing signs since 1981, and knows DanceWriting well too, and that is  
one of the reasons, when she started her Bible translations, that she  
was able to write the signs themselves in such a simplified manner,  
because she has been writing volumes by hand for so many years, that  
simplifying spellings became a natural kind of quest for her...Nancy  
doesn't write with many contact symbols if they are not needed. For  
example, if the two hands look like they are touching each other, she  
doesn't bother to write the Touch star, because that is obvious with  
the two hands written close to each other. At first that would not  
seem like much of a simplification, but actually the documents in the  
Gospel According to John do have a simple writing feeling to them  
because of that...and as I read the documents the simplification  
really started to grow on me...and became very comfortable to  
read...so I am glad you are doing similar kind of work, and going to  
the Deaf Community to test it is so great...congratulations on this...

The one problem with this kind of simplification, as you have already  
clearly understood, is that it is important that everyone can read  
it...so testing this with readers is really a good deal of the work...

And a foreigner to Maltese Sign Language, but a person who knows the  
symbols, might not read these signs the same either...and that is a  
whole different story...can foreigners to the sign language who  
already know SignWriting read your documents too? Not from a meaning  
point of view, but from a "production" point of view...that might  
depend I guess and is another interesting question to consider...

So as a foreigner, let me explain to you how I would read these two  
writings...just for feedback...I believe that the two writings could  
never be the same, based on the definitions of the Rub Contact  
Symbol...The Rub Contact Symbol, when it is combined with arrows of  
different kinds, moves in the direction of the arrows, but stays on  
the surface. But when the arrows are taken away, the Rub Contact  
Symbol means to move in a circular motion, while staying on the  
surface...like the sign for COFFEE or CHOCOLATE in ASL...the hand  
stays on the surface but moves in a circular motion like the symbol  
looks...

So reading your two signs in the attache diagram...

The first one reads like this:
Two " ASL T" hands brush each other's palms up and down, alternating.

The second one reads like this:
Two "A" hands contact each other at the palm and rub in a circle.  
(like washing something)

The movements are so different that I wonder if one can be a  
standardization for the other? I mean the movements are very  
different. I can certainly see how the two handshapes could be  
interchangeable, although I am surprised that you use an "ASL T" hand  
in Malta because in Denmark they told me that it was a bad handshape  
to them...that it meant something naughty and they never put the thumb  
between two fingers...I had been told that was true throughout  
Europe...but maybe not so in all European countries ;-))

So many things to discuss! See below...

Val ;-)

-----

-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: MaltaExamples.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 80474 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/sw-l/attachments/20090818/d2a12901/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