What does this sign/use of classifier mean (ASL)?

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SimplyMints

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I'm sorry, but I've been searching high and low for the meaning of this. I see it so often. I think it may be a few examples of the use of a classifier, but as far as I know, it's a series of related signs. Let me try to describe an example. If it's my classifier theory, it makes use of the "A" classifier. So here's what I'm trying to figure out: Take your stationary hand .. er, secondary hand .. this hand won't move. It's palm up claw hand. I call it a finger nest, so nobody knows what I'm talking about, but the palm-up claw is essentially what it is. Now take the "A" classifier with the thumb pointing up, and rest it on the palm of the claw hand. I see this and variations of it all the time, and when I ask what it is, nobody can understand my question. Can any of you give me some examples of what this might mean? Sorry if this is a bit winded.
 
It seems like you are describing the sign for "help"
 
Bottesini said:
It seems like you are describing the sign for "help"
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It does look a lot like the help sign, and since I'm not native to ASL, you could be right, but it never seems to fit the context .. and the claw shape seems very distinctive. Do people usually sign "help" with the thumb sticking way up in the air? I hope this isn't a stupid question, but I'm really trying to learn. I found an ASL class, but it's a 5 hour drive away from here =/ I can't afford to do that right now, lol! Oh, when I see "help" usually the sign moves up, but this sign doesn't seem to move. But, yeah, maybe it just looks that way because I'm such an ASL noob.
 
I'm starting to feel silly now because I think you may be right :rofl: I've been off and on trying to figure this out since 1996-97 haha! "Help" as I recall was one of the first signs I ever learned!
 
SimplyMints said:
I'm starting to feel silly now because I think you may be right :rofl: I've been off and on trying to figure this out since 1996-97 haha! "Help" as I recall was one of the first signs I ever learned!
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Glad to assist! Next time don't wait over 10 years to ask!:laugh2:
 
SimplyMints said:
I'm sorry, but I've been searching high and low for the meaning of this. I see it so often. I think it may be a few examples of the use of a classifier, but as far as I know, it's a series of related signs. Let me try to describe an example. If it's my classifier theory, it makes use of the "A" classifier. So here's what I'm trying to figure out: Take your stationary hand .. er, secondary hand .. this hand won't move. It's palm up claw hand. I call it a finger nest, so nobody knows what I'm talking about, but the palm-up claw is essentially what it is. Now take the "A" classifier with the thumb pointing up, and rest it on the palm of the claw hand. I see this and variations of it all the time, and when I ask what it is, nobody can understand my question. Can any of you give me some examples of what this might mean? Sorry if this is a bit winded.
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I agree with Bott. It sounds like the sign you are describing is the word "help."
To answer your second question, yes, I've always seen (or more accurately, felt via tactile sign) the thumb sticking up when the sign for "help" is being made.
 
Well, if it is for, "help", then there should not be the claw hand. That hand should be open and flat.
 
Tousi said:
Well, if it is for, "help", then there should not be the claw hand. That hand should be open and flat.
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Now that I think about it, I've seen the word "help" signed both ways: with and without the claw hand. Perhaps the people I know who are using the claw hand (as SimplyMints described) are signing it incorrectly.
 
Hear Again said:
Now that I think about it, I've seen the word "help" signed both ways: with and without the claw hand. Perhaps the people I know who are using the claw hand (as SimplyMints described) are signing it incorrectly.
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I see it that way too, and she said it is moved around different variations, such as would be different situations of how to use "help"

What else do you think it could be, Tousi?
 
Cool, I guess it must be help :Oops:

What if the A is sitting on the back of a palm-down flat hand? I thought it was a classifier because I thought this was a variation of it.
 
SimplyMints said:
What if the A is sitting on the back of a palm-down flat hand? I thought it was a classifier because I thought this was a variation of it.
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Hmmm. I've never seen that sign before. Perhaps Bott or Tousi could answer your question.
 
Hear Again said:
Hmmm. I've never seen that sign before. Perhaps Bott or Tousi could answer your question.
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This all might be easier if I find some videos with these, and I can post them here. They won't be my videos, so I hope I don't upset anybody, but I'll see if I can find them. I see them a lot. I do, however, know the particular person who signs this particular sign is hearing, but she's been signing for most of her life (not coda tho).
 
SimplyMints said:
This all might be easier if I find some videos with these, and I can post them here. They won't be my videos, so I hope I don't upset anybody, but I'll see if I can find them. I see them a lot. I do, however, know the particular person who signs this particular sign is hearing, but she's been signing for most of her life (not coda tho).
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Videos won't do any good for me (I'm totally blind), but perhaps you could describe the sign in another way? If Tousi, Bott or another ADer don't answer your question, I'll ask my sign language instructor.
 
Hear Again said:
Videos won't do any good for me (I'm totally blind), but perhaps you could describe the sign in another way? If Tousi, Bott or another ADer don't answer your question, I'll ask my sign language instructor.
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Well I don't mean to exclude you. I'm just really bad at describing this since I've tried to describe it for so many years. Like I said earlier, I did find another ASL school, but it's 5 hours drive away. If I went there, thought, I'd just be able to ask another deaf person or my instructor simply by signing it myself! I could also o that if I went to Gallaudet, which I have considered seriously, and who knows, I still might go, I donno.

I'll just keep an eye out for a video, and if I find one, maybe somebody else can describe it to you better than I can, haha!
 
SimplyMints said:
Well I don't mean to exclude you. I'm just really bad at describing this since I've tried to describe it for so many years. Like I said earlier, I did find another ASL school, but it's 5 hours drive away. If I went there, thought, I'd just be able to ask another deaf person or my instructor simply by signing it myself! I could also o that if I went to Gallaudet, which I have considered seriously, and who knows, I still might go, I donno.

I'll just keep an eye out for a video, and if I find one, maybe somebody else can describe it to you better than I can, haha!
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:lol: Don't worry, that's okay. If you do find a video, I have plenty of sighted-hearing friends who can describe it to me. :)
 
Hmmm, maybe while we're waiting, somebody could tell me how to express a couple of concepts that in English I would use the word "gear" .. the first concept being the pegged wheel that turns a clock mechanism, a chain on a bike, a belt or wheel on a car, the gear shift on a bike or a car, things like that. The second being like reusable stuff that you take with you for certain tasks, such as camping gear, climbing gear, combat gear, etc. Equipment could be another word for it in English.

No emergency here, I mean you don't have to be my ASL teachers or anything, just if you feel like it. And I won't be making a habit of this =D
 
"help" is a directional sign. If you want someone to help you u bring the (claw hand with the a) to yourself. If you are asking a person if they want help, you can move your hand in that persons direction....and so it goes. The claw hand could be, as already stated, a more relaxed way of signing, just as in English (or any other speaking language for that matter) people speak more clearly than others.
just my $.02

MKD
 
Munchkinsdad said:
"help" is a directional sign. If you want someone to help you u bring the (claw hand with the a) to yourself. If you are asking a person if they want help, you can move your hand in that persons direction....and so it goes. The claw hand could be, as already stated, a more relaxed way of signing, just as in English (or any other speaking language for that matter) people speak more clearly than others.
just my $.02

MKD
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Thanks, that's something that I didn't learn in SEE. Though I'm picking up on that with many signs in ASL. What confused me was that the "A" shape resembles the classifier, and it was used with the other hand in many different orientations to it, such as in my previous example where the A rested on the back of a palm-down flat hand. This is done by the same person who used different orientations and hand shapes of the second hand.

A little bit of my background, I grew up hearing and began losing my hearing around the age of 20, and am now 30 and profoundly deaf with no residual hearing. I'm fluent in SEE, and I've taken a year of ASL in school, and am now beginning an online ASL course because the closest live course is 5 hours away, with the exception of one that focusses on religious signing and memorising how to sign memory verses from the bible and interpreting for pastors at churches every sunday. Eh, not exactly my life's ambitions. I really wanna learn ASL so I can communicate in all of life's experiences, and eventually become more accepted in the broader Deaf community, and eventually earn a sign name =D
 
SimplyMints,

As long as you are making the effort to learn ASL, you will be accepted by the Deaf community.

I can still remember when I attended my first Deaf Event. I was so nervous and worried about whether or not people would accept me. However, once I explained that I was a new signer, everyone was great about signing slow enough so I could follow along tactually. They even complimented me on my signing telling me what a good job I was doing.

As for name signs, I received mine from a Deaf woman I met while in training at my local deafblind center. (My name sign represents the initials of my first and last name made on each shoulder. I was told that this represents my personal strength and self-confidence.)
 
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