finger direction matters

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
July 1st, 2010

I would also like to point out that if one looks at documents written around the world, that writers tend to follow the direction of the fingers. Here is an example. I have seen this handshape written both ways, and I feel both are readable, because when the handshape is parallel to the floor, there is the small space or break at the fingers to tell us that, and the black back of the hand tells us that we are viewing the back of the hand parallel to the floor. So either handshape in the attached diagram can be read. But the writing of the fingers directed down seems logical and the most visual for me...and I tend to write it that way. Like in the sign for MOVEMENT attached.  Finger direction is important for reading signs quickly because meaning is held in the finger direction...so writing it as close to the way it looks in real life is important:

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