An interesting query on Non-Dominant Hands (NDH)

[Charles Butler]

The ASL Teacher list serve asked this question.  What shape is the Non-Dominant Hand in the sign "church".

That is  a very interesting question, one that I have asked before to some 
of my fellow  deafies in my community. I have seen the NDH being a C as you 
said, as well as  a fist and a flat hand. The most memorable is when I asked 
my friend who is  very pious which it should be for CHURCH. He said that if 
you sign church on a  flat hand, you have a weak foundation; if you sign it 
on a fist, you have a  firm foundation. When I asked about it with a C, he 
said then you have a weak  foundation lazily placed. Then I joked with him 
and said that maybe it was a  weak foundation trying to look like a firm one. 
He laughed at that one. The  point being from what I have gathered from him 
and several others is that it  really doesn't matter which of the three you 
use when just chatting, but when  in a very formal setting to use the fist 
base. Now whether you are teaching  your students to be apart of t_he Deaf 
community socially or professionally  will help you decide which to teach. 

MY Comment: 

Here is what I find on SignPuddle -- with flat hand and with fist. 


church 
      Sign: Reader
Modified: September 18, 2008 08:38



church 
      
Sign: Reader
Source: Vanessa J.
Modified: September 18, 2008 08:41
Puddle page 7401
>>From what I have noticed is that SN tries  to find a happy middle for those 
who may be unsure or don't want to limit to  one or the other without 
overloading students with too many options. Hope that  helps.  
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