Sign language, regional differences

[rjr2006]

Dang, they still tell the myth of Signs being the same worldwide??
I met deaf visitors from Italy and Russia and my mind is still reeling from puzzlement and embarrassment.
I swear to God, I had no idea "sweet" is "sex".
Merde.

really? When my hearing friend is trying to learn sexual signs in ASL, I showed him the different sign for "penis" and that is in Signed English. he said that my sign is wrong, but he doesn't understand why I use Signed English more than ASL. SEE is better for reading/writing and communicating with hearing people while ASL is being used by the deaf culture.

 

[Daft]

Truck - Y hand formation and sort of brushes against your other elbow.

Store - looks like the sign for "cherish", but the hand moves a few times.

Laundry - same sign as Sweden

Soon - Use a clawed number three hand shape. Place thumb on side of chin, then flick wrist back.

Supposedly 37 different signs for grey. I sign grey same as whatever.

What - wag index finger back forth (outside of my state - this means where)

Where - Open hand, palms out, shake back and forth.

Birthday - we use Birth + day, but have seen about 10 different ways of signing Birthday - making some sort of flicking motion over your heart.

Computer - looks like mercy but hands go in circles.

Rain and snow 2 different signs - look very similiar. Most often, the sign for snow starts with the hands touching the shoulders.

Popcorn - depends on your generation. I use 2 different signs for popcorn. Most often, left hand has V hand formation and right hand had number one formation. The finger of my right hand then taps the the inside of the V. But another sign I use for popcorn looks like I am holding the handle and lid of a pan and shaking it over the pan.

Wolf - With a letter D hand formation, rest the finger against one nostril.

Laugh - B hand formation and slide diagonally up and down. Bottom part of hand on one side of chin and the top part of the hand on the other side of the mouth.

 

[Reba]

Very interesting.

Which region are you in? Northeast, Midwest, Southeast, West?

Truck - Y hand formation and sort of brushes against your other elbow.

Is that similar to COUNTRY?

Store - looks like the sign for "cherish", but the hand moves a few times.

Is the "store" such as "to put into storage", or do you mean "a place to shop"? I have seen that sign used to "store" something such as to "I am going to store my jewelry in the bank vault."

Supposedly 37 different signs for grey. I sign grey same as whatever.

I usually use the "G" "sideburn" version.

Where - Open hand, palms out, shake back and forth.

Yes, I have seen that sign also. We usually use it to mean "where is the object or person". Such as, "your book, where?" We use the other where (index finger) for places, such as where a person was born or works.

Computer - looks like mercy but hands go in circles.

Yeah, the "good old days" using a computer mainframe with tape reels.

Popcorn - depends on your generation. I use 2 different signs for popcorn.

We use the two index fingers alternating "flicking" upward, showing the "popping" action.

 

[Daft]

Hi, Reba.


I am in the Midwest.

Yes, "truck" sort of looks like "country".

The sign for "store" looking like "cherish" - store as in a place to shop.

I much prefer the old-fashioned ASL signs. Sometimes a new sign will come up which is really sort of cool. For example, some of the kids around here started a new sign for "Subway restuarant". With C-handshapes, the mime eating a huge sandwich.

Something which is sort of bizarre. Most of the kids today are going to mainstreamed schools and when they speak with the adults, the kids are getting sort of confused because of the SEE signs which get tossed in.

Most people here sign Chinese with an index finger to the temple. I showed one of the older deaf people the new sign for Chinese - the one which looks like buttons on the front of a shirt. She rolled her eyes and laughed. She had never seen the sign before and never planned on using it.

 

[Reba]

.... Most of the kids today are going to mainstreamed schools and when they speak with the adults, the kids are getting sort of confused because of the SEE signs which get tossed in.

Yes, I have noticed that also. I am a terp, and often Deaf clients request ASL interpretting. However, after I begin signing with them, I realize that they are not signing ASL but actually SEE/PSE combinations. The schools tell the students that they are teaching them ASL but they are not.

Most people here sign Chinese with an index finger to the temple. I showed one of the older deaf people the new sign for Chinese - the one which looks like buttons on the front of a shirt. She rolled her eyes and laughed. She had never seen the sign before and never planned on using it.

Most of the Deaf in my area know and use the new signs for China, Japan, and Africa. But they still use "black", not "African-American", and the old signs for most other countries such as Australia and Russia.