Sign names

[Taric25]

COOL initialized with T

Should I tell deaf people my sign name when I introduce myself? When is the proper time to bring this up? My spoken name is so easy to finger-spell that sometimes I don't bother telling, but I am also proud of my sign name. What is the ettiquette?

The de facto (norm) seems to be to fingerspell then sign your sign name, regardless of your skill level.

For example, when I meet new signers, I sign, "ME NAME T-A-R-I-C SIGN TARIC (COOL initialized with T), BECAUSE COOL". My Deaf friend, Suzanne, gave me my sign name, because she said I'm a cool guy.

OT, I've noticed the sign for COOL is different on the west coast. I saw someone tell me, no that's NEAT. His sign for COOL was my sign for HMMMM. Either way, I think it's just as good for me to be cool as it is neat.

 

[Reba]

...OT, I've noticed the sign for COOL is different on the west coast. I saw someone tell me, no that's NEAT. His sign for COOL was my sign for HMMMM. Either way, I think it's just as good for me to be cool as it is neat.

Can you please describe your signs for COOL and HMMMM?

Our sign in SC for NEAT is similar to the one shown at ASLPRO.com. Is that the west coast sign?

 

[Taric25]

Can you please describe your signs for COOL and HMMMM?

Our sign in SC for NEAT is similar to the one shown at ASLPRO.com. Is that the west coast sign?

Yes, my sign for COOL or NEAT is the same one shown on ASLPro.com Home. To make my sign for HMMMM, use a "5" handshape, palm facing down; touch your thumb to your chest, and twiddle your fingers (like signing DIRT, but the hand is lower, thumb touching the chest).

 

[Reba]

Yes, my sign for COOL or NEAT is the same one shown on ASLPro.com Home.

Thanks.

To make my sign for HMMMM, use a "5" handshape, palm facing down; touch your thumb to your chest, and twiddle your fingers (like signing DIRT, but the hand is lower, thumb touching the chest).

Like the FANCY sign at ASLPRO.com?

 

[GalaxyAngel]

Sign T and hand palm *backforth* sound alike "owing"
Pure ol'e simple!

 

[ismi]

Like the FANCY sign at ASLPRO.com?

If I'm thinking of the same thing, it's that sign, but with the hand oriented horizontally (FANCY/FORMAL is vertical on ASLPRO, right?), palm down.

 

[cathartes]

Could I ask for common name signs for names starting with J? Would like to learn of a couple besides J at the shoulder.

 

[Peachy Lady]

My sign name is "L" on back of my palm, like the sign for church. The thumb "L" part is on back of palm.

 

[Taric25]

Like the FANCY sign at ASLPRO.com?

If I'm thinking of the same thing, it's that sign, but with the hand oriented horizontally (FANCY/FORMAL is vertical on ASLPRO, right?), palm down.

Lynn Jameson signs FANCY, similar to how I sign HMMM. Remember, the palm is facing down. There is no sign for FORMAL on ASLPro, and FORMAL is a different sign, with the back of the hand facing your dominant side.

Sign T and hand palm *backforth* sound alike "owing"
Pure ol'e simple!

Um, GalaxyAngel, that doesn't seem simple to me. What are "owing" and "*backforth*"?

 

[Reba]

Could I ask for common name signs for names starting with J? Would like to learn of a couple besides J at the shoulder.

There is a book by Samuel J. Supalla called The Book of Name Signs, Naming in American Sign Language (Dawn Sign Press, 1992) that explains name signs, and shows illustrations of common name signs for each letter of the alphabet.

Some of the "J" name signs were "brushing" the J:

in the space in front of the body

at the forehead

on the chin

at the shoulder

on the elbow

inside the crook of the arm

on the chest

on the back of the opposite hand


I also know some Deaf people who combine their first initial "J" with the initial of their last name. For example, someone named James Richards might use J-R on the shoulder. When the J is combined with another letter, then the J is just "swooped" instead of using the two short "brushing" movements. If the J is used alone, it's normally two short brushes.

If this sign name is for yourself, normally you would wait until a member of the Deaf community assigns one to you.

 

[GalaxyAngel]

Lynn Jameson signs FANCY, similar to how I sign HMMM. Remember, the palm is facing down. There is no sign for FORMAL on ASLPro, and FORMAL is a different sign, with the back of the hand facing your dominant side.Um, GalaxyAngel, that doesn't seem simple to me. What are "owing" and "*backforth*"?

:roll:
One hand "t another hand full hand palm... sort of tapping..
sound alike "owing" but your sign might be different sign languages forgien ?

 

[Taric25]

What is "owing"?

One hand "t another hand full hand palm... sort of tapping..

I still don't understand.

sound alike "owing" but your sign might be different sign languages forgien ?

What do you mean "sound alike"? Sign Languages do not have sound.

Also, what is "owing"? I see you are in Canada, but that word is neither French nor English.

 

[GalaxyAngel]

I still don't understand.What do you mean "sound alike"? Sign Languages do not have sound.

Also, what is "owing"? I see you are in Canada, but that word is neither French nor English.

what your sign for owe/owing?

Not French.. It's English!

 

[Southern]

Taric i have seen your sign for hmmmm but it is in response to a joke, rather than saying funny. And i looked at aslpro.com and their sign for neat i know as cool, although it is a little different.

 

[Taric25]

HMMM is a Different Sign

what your sign for owe/owing?

Oh, the sign is OWE! I didn't understand when you said "owing"? The sign for OWE is the non-dominant hand in an open-palm-handshape, palm facing up, fingers pointed forward and the dominant hand in a 1-handshape, back of the palm facing forward, finger pointed down. The finger of your dominant hand touches the palm of your non-dominant hand.

OWE on ASL Browser.


OK, can you please explain your sign name using the following four things?

1) Handshape – What handshape are you using? (i.e. a 5-handshape, an open-palm-handshape, a claw-handshape, a 3-handshape, an O-handshape, etc.)
2) Orientation – Which direction is the handshape? (i.e. palm facing forward, palm facing backward, palm facing up, palm facing down, palm facing dominant-side, palm facing non-dominant side, fingers pointed forward, fingers pointed backward, fingers pointed up, fingers pointed down, fingers pointed at the dominant side, fingers pointed at the non-dominant side, etc.)
3) Position – Where does the sign happen? (i.e. on your shoulder, in front of the body, on the chin, above the head, below the waist, etc.)
4) Movement – How does the sign move? What is your expression and mouthing? (i.e. draw a J, draw a Z, finger touchs the ear and then the mouth, make an angry face, mouth "O", etc.)

i have seen your sign for hmmmm but it is in response to a joke, rather than saying funny.

Southern, response to a joke is a different sign, and it the same as the sign SUPERFINE. SUPERFINE is a 5-handshape, palm facing your non-dominant side with your fingers pointed up, touching the chest, and the fingers wiggle, similar to the sign DIRT.

DIRT is a 5-handshape, palm facing down with your fingers pointed at your non-dominant side, touching the bottom of the chin, and the fingers wiggle, similar to the sign PIG.

PIG is a bent-open-palm-handshape, palm facing down with your fingers pointed at your non-dominant side, touching the bottom of the chin.

HMMM is a different sign. HMMM is a 5-handshape, palm facing down with your fingers pointed at your non-dominant side, touching the chest, and the fingers wiggle, similar to the sign DIRT.

FINE is also a different sign. FINE is a 5-handshape, palm facing your non-dominant side with your fingers pointed up, touching the chest, and the hand rotates forward, fingers pointing forward.

FORMAL is also a different sign. FORMAL is a 5-handshape, palm facing your non-dominant side with your fingers pointed up, touching the chest, and the hand moves up.

MOTHER is also a different sign. MOTHER is a 5-handshape, palm facing your non-dominant side with your fingers pointed up, thumb touching the chin.

GRANDMOTHER is also a different sign. GRANDMOTHER is a 5-handshape, palm facing your non-dominant side with your fingers pointed up, thumb touching the chin, and the hand rotates forward, fingers pointing forward.

I know you probably know most of these signs already, but I wanted to describe them, to point out their similarities and differences.

 

[GalaxyAngel]

Oh, the sign is OWE! I didn't understand when you said "owing"? The sign for OWE is the non-dominant hand in an open-palm-handshape, palm facing up, fingers pointed forward and the dominant hand in a 1-handshape, back of the palm facing forward, finger pointed down. The finger of your dominant hand touches the palm of your non-dominant hand.

OWE on ASL Browser.


OK, can you please explain your sign name using the following four things?

1) Handshape – What handshape are you using? (i.e. a 5-handshape, an open-palm-handshape, a claw-handshape, a 3-handshape, an O-handshape, etc.)
2) Orientation – Which direction is the handshape? (i.e. palm facing forward, palm facing backward, palm facing up, palm facing down, palm facing dominant-side, palm facing non-dominant side, fingers pointed forward, fingers pointed backward, fingers pointed up, fingers pointed down, fingers pointed at the dominant side, fingers pointed at the non-dominant side, etc.)
3) Position – Where does the sign happen? (i.e. on your shoulder, in front of the body, on the chin, above the head, below the waist, etc.)
4) Movement – How does the sign move? What is your expression and mouthing? (i.e. draw a J, draw a Z, finger touchs the ear and then the mouth, make an angry face, mouth "O", etc.)Southern, response to a joke is a different sign, and it the same as the sign SUPERFINE. SUPERFINE is a 5-handshape, palm facing your non-dominant side with your fingers pointed up, touching the chest, and the fingers wiggle, similar to the sign DIRT.

DIRT is a 5-handshape, palm facing down with your fingers pointed at your non-dominant side, touching the bottom of the chin, and the fingers wiggle, similar to the sign PIG.

PIG is a bent-open-palm-handshape, palm facing down with your fingers pointed at your non-dominant side, touching the bottom of the chin.

HMMM is a different sign. HMMM is a 5-handshape, palm facing down with your fingers pointed at your non-dominant side, touching the chest, and the fingers wiggle, similar to the sign DIRT.

FINE is also a different sign. FINE is a 5-handshape, palm facing your non-dominant side with your fingers pointed up, touching the chest, and the hand rotates forward, fingers pointing forward.

FORMAL is also a different sign. FORMAL is a 5-handshape, palm facing your non-dominant side with your fingers pointed up, touching the chest, and the hand moves up.

MOTHER is also a different sign. MOTHER is a 5-handshape, palm facing your non-dominant side with your fingers pointed up, thumb touching the chin.

GRANDMOTHER is also a different sign. GRANDMOTHER is a 5-handshape, palm facing your non-dominant side with your fingers pointed up, thumb touching the chin, and the hand rotates forward, fingers pointing forward.

I know you probably know most of these signs already, but I wanted to describe them, to point out their similarities and differences.

That one...
okay..
The sign for OWE is the non-dominant hand in an open-palm-handshape, palm facing up, the dominant hand in T- handshape, back of the palm facing forward, T-handshape pointed down. The T- handshape of your dominant hand touches the palm of your non-dominant hand.

Get that idea.. It's my sign name.

 

[Taric25]

OWE initialized with T

is the non-dominant hand in an open-palm-handshape, palm facing up, the dominant hand in T- handshape, back of the palm facing forward, T-handshape pointed down. The T- handshape of your dominant hand touches the palm of your non-dominant hand.

Get that idea.. It's my sign name.

Got it!

 

[Southern]

Yeah boi I knew those. Lol I was like what is he telling me here. Yeah I know what you mean and I got the two mixed up when reading it thanks for the verbose explanation. LMAO because my long winded self has room to talk. =)