[Sw-l] ASL: Glyph for "2" and "K" handshapes

[Adam Frost]

Hello AnnaGrace,

Welcome to the SignWriting List. :-)

Your question is actually quite common especially with beginners. I admit I had the same thoughts when I first started learning back in 2003. (Has it really been that long!?)

Let me start with something that might help understand as I give an answer to your question. While it is true that most of the glyphs for the hands are as close as possible to being visually based, there are times when abstract rules were created to ensure that they are clear in their 2D representation as well. Because of this, there might be times when the 2D representation is counterintuitive to their actual visual aspects in 3D.

I hope the above wasn’t too confusing. Ha!

So let’s start with the glyph for “2” or “V” that you asked about. You feel that it looks more like a “K” because the index finger is vertical and the middle finger is at an angle, which are reading as being angled forward rather than to the side as if the fingers are splayed but still pointing up.

I would like to ask where is the thumb for the letter “K”? Shouldn’t it be connecting with the middle finger that is projecting forward? If that is true, then you would need to have a thumb line showing that connection with that first glyph. However, doing just that would make the glyph too cumbersome making it too difficult to read. That is why fingers projected forward are usually done as horizontal lines rather than diagonal lines. And that is why the second glyph is a “K” instead.

Here is another explanation for the reason the index finger is straight up rather than angled to the side (like most people would assume it should be, including myself when I first started learning SignWriting). When these glyphs were first created for computer use, they were created using a pixel system of filling in several squares. Because of that, lines were best visible going straight or at 45º angles. To make the “V” would require making the glyph look like this:



That would hurt my fingers to try and getting them to splay that far apart. Ha! So to make it look less painful, the index finger was made vertical. While it is true that we could probably make the angle less sharp now with current technology like below, it would mean a new font type and even require a conversion for already written literature as this change is not the same dimensions as the original glyph. Not to mention the changes that would be required for several other associated glyphs as well.



I hope that this helps you understand the reasoning these glyphs were designed as they were after 40+ years of writing by users of a multitude of sign languages. While it is true we try to keep things as visual as possible, sometimes it just isn’t possible when using 2D representations and limitations.


Adam

> On Jan 3, 2022, at 12:37 PM, AnnaGrace Greenfield <msannagrace20 at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> 
> Hi SignWriting community:
> 
> This is for American Sign Language users---
> 
> 1) For the handshape that resemble the number "2" or the letter "V", I tend to write:
> 
> <Screen Shot 2022-01-03 at 3.31.43 PM.png>
> 
> 2) However, Sutton's textbooks show it as:
> <Screen Shot 2022-01-03 at 3.29.39 PM.png>
> which, to me, looks like a "K" handshape. 
> 
> 3) According to Sutton's textbooks, "K" is represented as:
> <Screen Shot 2022-01-03 at 3.33.41 PM.png>
> 
> Please tell me, is there any reason not to use the handshape in:
> (1) when I want to depict the "2" handshape (HS:2 or HS:V)? 
> (2) when I want to depict the "K" handshape (HS:K)?
> 
> Thanks for your input and thoughts,
> 
> AnnaGrace
> 
> 
> 
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