Reba - That was my point. I actually clearly wrote that when compared with English, ASL seems backwards. I didn't at any point say that ASL IS backwards. (In fact, I specifically clarified that I was NOT saying ASL is backwards.) My use of the word "backwards" was actually in reference to the original poster's comment, because he asked if ASL was backwards.
I'm aware that ASL was never intended to be comparable to spoken English. Unfortunately, in North America, where English is the predominant language, it seems that most people with no ASL experience assume ASL "should" follow spoken English grammatical rules. In my limited experience, most people don't recognize that ASL is, in fact, it's own language, and is a very separate entity from most spoken languages in terms of grammar. For example, when I signed to my former patients, some of the medical staff in the facility where I worked were quite confused that I wasn't signing exactly what they were speaking word for word. I explained that signing word for word is actually "Signed English", not ASL, and is, in my experience, not all that well used by the d/Deaf population. At least, none of the d/Deaf people I knew in the past or know now use signed English.
Of note, many, if not most languages, not just ASL, SEEM backwards when compared grammatically to spoken English. Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese are just a few that are comparatively backwards if one is basing their understanding and acquisition of language on the spoken English language.
I wasn't meaning to ruffle any feathers. I apologize if my comments weren't as clearly
worded as I intended them to be.
No, the grammar rule isn't speak backwards like Yoda.
