QUESTION: Can we write left-handed signing?

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
February 7, 2011

QUESTION:

On Feb 2, 2011:
> Hello!
> There is one thing I was wondering about ; I « sign » with my left hand, and the the writing is made for right handed persons. I haven't read enough to know if the inversion in writing can pose a problem in the understanding. As a left handed person I would, for example,automatically inverse the place of the dark side on the drawing on the hand « flat » : I would put It on the left side rather than on the right side. I would also, on the drawing of the hand with finger, put the stick representing the thumb on the right side. It trouble me much when I »m trynig to learn. Is the inversion accepted?
> I go on descovering the Sign Writing. I will surely rewrite. Have an nice day!

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ANSWER:

Thank you for this message and your question....

Go right ahead and write left-handed signing - no problem!

It is accepted to write either way.

Writing left-handed signing or right-handed signing - BOTH can be written in SignWriting and there is no problem reading it...

Just as there is no problem in real life...when you look at a left-handed signer or a right-handed signer - we can all understand each other, whether we are signing to each other, or reading it in SignWriting...

In our formal SignWriting documents, we choose to write right-handed signing, because most signers are right handed, so that is our standard way of publishing...but we do have some publications written in left handed signing -

Right now you notice this more, because you are new to SignWriting, but later it will become less important until you get used to reading it either way -

I have more to tell you about left-handed and right-handed signing next message...



Val ;-)

Valerie Sutton
SignWriting List moderator
sutton at signwriting.org

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