Classifiers -- ASL royalty!

Berry

Berry

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Is anyone else in love with classifiers?

I use them when I talk to hearing people all the time and they understand what I mean. I've had them compliment me on how well I describe things, and they don't even realize most of the crucial details were conveyed with classifiers; not with words.

I also deal with a lot of people who don't speak English very well. They don't know any ASL but as often as not words just get in the way of communication.

Without classifiers I think ASL would just be a language, with classifiers I think ASL is more than that and any language without them lacks the life and energy you find in ASL.

Does anyone else feel this way?
 
I love classifiers. They are what makes the language so unique. And they are also what makes the language so understandable even to less than fluent users. They truly "paint the picture".
 
"Paint the picture," = good way to put it.

So many things are almost impossible to convey correctly with words, but are sooo simple and easy to do with classifiers.
 
JamieLynn said:
I understand now what it is used for but what is it?

Signs?

Jamie (still confused)
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Yes. For instance, the classifier for vehicle can be placed on the non-dominant palm to show "park the car", or it can be shown moving away from the signer, as a "car traveling down the road", or it can be veered to the right or left to show a right or left hand turn. Once it has been established that the vehicle being discussed is, for instance, a car, then the classifier can be used throughout the conversation. The same classifier can be used for a boat, or a bus, etc. It is only necessary to establish at the outset which type of vehicle is being talked about.
 
JamieLynn said:
Would you care to explain what a classifier is? :shrug:

:ty: Jamie

.
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I have some favorite classifiers. They are kind of like independent pronouns and can be used to describe a wide variety of things.

One I use a lot I think of as the "flat surface" classifier: Probably not its correct name. You can go a long ways toward describing your house using it.

Take two "B" handshapes touching. Point those palms down and put them at the bottom of your signing space or a pinch below and spread them apart to show the floor; you can even give some indication of the shape or slant of the floor.

Point those same "B" handshapes out and you can indicate a lot about the wall. Point to places on the wall and use the same handshapes to indicate where the windows and doors are. Now you can use the same "B" handshapes with the palms pointing down to show where, how high, and what size the shelf is.

Last but not least you can use the same basic (though modified) handshapes to show a cute little box you have placed on the shelf.

What more can you ask one poor classifier to do?

Actually it can do a lot more but I think this is enough to explain why I am so in love with them.

Now it is your turn. Take a couple of "3" handshapes and use them for any kind of vehicles you can imagine, cars, busses, trains, boats, anything but airplanes, and play with them, exploring all the different things you can have them doing together. It won't take long for you to discover English is a very inadequate to describe two cars racing down the road, crashing into each other, and rolling around together.
 
:ty: both to Jillio and Berry

Since I know only few words in ASL, I understood Berry's explanation a little bit better. I think a video for me to see would be easier though :D

But still thanks so much for both of you to take your time and to explain it to me. I am pretty sure I got the floor and wall thingie correctly, not 100% sure though...

ETA: If I were in front of a deaf person and would try to make him understand the word *car* (since I don't know that one) I would rather more use my two hands and do as if my hands were resting on the steering wheel. Is that what you mean except the other way around. A deaf person trying to explain to a hearie when there is no pen/paper around? Of course the hearie would be me <giggle> completely clueless on ASL :(

<hug> Jamie
 
JamieLynn said:
:ty: both to Jillio and Berry


ETA: If I were in front of a deaf person and would try to make him understand the word *car* (since I don't know that one) I would rather more use my two hands and do as if my hands were resting on the steering wheel. Is that what you mean except the other way around. A deaf person trying to explain to a hearie when there is no pen/paper around? Of course the hearie would be me <giggle> completely clueless on ASL :(

<hug> Jamie
Click to expand...

I sign car and drive similar to holding a steering wheel, also able to show a lot of what is going on, like steering to left or right, going forward, stopping.

Think of this as seeing the car from the inside.

Take your index finger, middle finger, and thumb all sticking up with your ring finger and little finger curled in: This is the "3" handshape. When the middle finger is pointed straight up it is the number 3. Stick the thumb straight up and point the index and middle finger in the direction the vehicle, say a car, is going.

Now think of the car as being seen from the outside.

Make the "3" handshape with both hands. With one hand, say your right, push this shape directly away from your chest forward. With the other hand go directly across your chest and drive it into the side of the other "car".

You have just described a car crash.

Where did they hit? Front fender? Middle? Back? Did one run right over the other? or did they both stop? Or did one back up and drive off fast?

All this and more can be shown in far less time, and with far more accuracy, than it can possibly be said in English.
 
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