Handshapes and systematic discussion

[Charles Butler]

I agree with you 100% Ingrid, if the fingers are on one side for the palm forward, then they MUST be on the other side for the palm back, else we aren't talking a writing system based on the hands.  This is something we have to develop together. No matter what we start with, if we write what we see, we have to be able to write what we SEE, not simply take on faith.  There are a number of handshapes that I honestly think need to be looked at in the electronic form and flipped, else if I put down the photograph and the graphic, they don't look like each other at all, regardless of the system.  
A hook can go either way, but a little finger cannot suddenly be on the opposite side of the hand then what it actually IS.  
I understand the desire, for example, to not have the thumb and whatever finger NOT be relating to each other, but showing the finger across the palm so that it sticks out the opposite side isn't the way to go.  A hook is better. 
If a palm flips, then the graphic MUST flip, or it's just not doing what its supposed to do. 
As we start getting photographs being laid side by side with the graphics that have been created, I think we are going to come to a MUCH BETTER consensus discussion and if that means that the ISWA has to be edited, then so much the better.  All of us can be consulted and come to a happy decision. 

Charles Butler

--- On Tue, 6/2/09, Ingvild Roald <iroald at hotmail.com> wrote:

From: Ingvild Roald <iroald at hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: AW: [sw-l] Namibia handshape construction
To: "SignWriting List" <sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu>
Date: Tuesday, June 2, 2009, 5:13 AM

Symbols used for everyday writing may be intuitive (as most of the SignWriting symbols are) or non-intuitive, like the conventions on arrowheads etc. But they should not be counter-intuitive. Maybe Stefan and I both think as educators, more than as system builders. I find it counter-intuitive that both of the attached handshape symbols refer to the right hand - my feeling is that as the hand flippes, so should the parts of the symbols that represent the fingers. (I know that this is not the same handshape that Stefan wrote about, but it is in the same group of handshapes).

Just my feeling

Ingvild



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