QUESTION: Can we write left-handed signing?

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
February 7, 2011

Thanks for your comments, Charles -

That is so true - We can write either hand as dominant, and we can write ambidextrous signing too!

Whatever the signer signs, we can write it, no matter what hand they choose as dominant -

Val ;-)



On Feb 7, 2011, at 10:48 AM, Charles Butler wrote:

> I think that this is a situation where the "citation" form is right handed, but one may have left-handed signers switching dominant hands.
>  
> Long-term, we need to have a function that will switch everything from "right-hand dominant" to "left-hand dominant" and "expressive" to "receptive" but it currently does not exist.
>  
> Every class I have ever taught in Sign Writing has had at least one left-handed signer, so that we teach "write what you see on your own hands". Having left-handed and right-handed students teaches everyone that the system is universal, not one hand dominant over the other in writing.
>  
> Charles
> 
>  
> 
> From: Charles Butler <chazzer3332000 at YAHOO.COM>
> To: SW-L at LISTSERV.VALENCIACC.EDU
> Sent: Mon, February 7, 2011 1:34:05 PM
> Subject: Re: QUESTION: Can we write left-handed signing?
> 
> The dark arrow is for the right hand, the white arrow is for the left hand.  If you write your language left-hand dominant, that is fine, but left and right don't change. The arrows are for which hand is used, not which is dominant.
>  
> Fingers follow the hand.  The whole system is built for both hands.
>  
> Charles
> 
>  
> 
> From: Valerie Sutton <sutton at SIGNWRITING.ORG>
> To: SW-L at LISTSERV.VALENCIACC.EDU
> Sent: Mon, February 7, 2011 1:09:21 PM
> Subject: QUESTION: Can we write left-handed signing?
> 
> 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!
> 
> ---------
> 
> 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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