1 Writing ASL Grammar in SignWriting®
Grammar Lesson 1
by Dr. Karen van Hoek
Signed In ASL by George ‘Butch’ Zein
The DAC • Deaf Action Committee For SignWriting® • P.O. Box 517 • La Jolla • CA • 92038-0517 • USA Voice: (858)456-0098 • TTY: (858)456-0010 • Fax: (858)456-0020 • E-mail: [email protected] 2
The DAC • Deaf Action Committee For SignWriting® • P.O. Box 517 • La Jolla • CA • 92038-0517 • USA Voice: (858)456-0098 • TTY: (858)456-0010 • Fax: (858)456-0020 • E-mail: [email protected] 3
Column 2
English Gloss eyebrows up
different
facial expressions
eyegaze down tense lips etc.
short pause
right hand fingerspells, then left hand points to ASL-it the "L" hand at the end of the fingerspelling
short pause
use
facial expressions tense lips
short pause
The DAC • Deaf Action Committee For SignWriting® • P.O. Box 517 • La Jolla • CA • 92038-0517 • USA Voice: (858)456-0098 • TTY: (858)456-0010 • Fax: (858)456-0020 • E-mail: [email protected] 4
Column 3
English Gloss
eyebrows up for-for? head forward
questioning pause
show
grammar
structure
end of thought
for example
short pause
topic
short pause
The DAC • Deaf Action Committee For SignWriting® • P.O. Box 517 • La Jolla • CA • 92038-0517 • USA Voice: (858)456-0098 • TTY: (858)456-0010 • Fax: (858)456-0020 • E-mail: [email protected] 5
Column 4
English Gloss
means
what shoulders up
sentence
about
short pause
basically head nods approvingly head movement is "down-down"
end of thought
left hand fingerspells, then right hand points to ASL-it the "L" hand at the end of the fingerspelling
short pause
has
The DAC • Deaf Action Committee For SignWriting® • P.O. Box 517 • La Jolla • CA • 92038-0517 • USA Voice: (858)456-0098 • TTY: (858)456-0010 • Fax: (858)456-0020 • E-mail: [email protected] 6
Column 5
English Gloss
special
rules
end of thought
sentence
short pause
left hand continues to hold the handshape that was used in the topic previous sign for "sentence", while the right hand fingerspells the word "topic"
left hand continues to hold the handshape that was used in the first sign for "sentence", while the right hand signs "first"
left hand continues to hold the handshape that was used in the put-to-the-left sign for "sentence", while the right hand signs "put-to-the-left"
The DAC • Deaf Action Committee For SignWriting® • P.O. Box 517 • La Jolla • CA • 92038-0517 • USA Voice: (858)456-0098 • TTY: (858)456-0010 • Fax: (858)456-0020 • E-mail: [email protected] 7
Column 6
English Gloss
with
special
facial expressions
what?
questioning pause
eyebrows
eyebrows up
pause before showing an example
The DAC • Deaf Action Committee For SignWriting® • P.O. Box 517 • La Jolla • CA • 92038-0517 • USA Voice: (858)456-0098 • TTY: (858)456-0010 • Fax: (858)456-0020 • E-mail: [email protected] 8
Column 7
English Gloss eyebrows up marking the fish topic "fish"
short pause
eyegaze diagonally-up-right, me corners of mouth slighty curved down, wrinkles on side of mouth
like
short pause
trout
end of thought
The DAC • Deaf Action Committee For SignWriting® • P.O. Box 517 • La Jolla • CA • 92038-0517 • USA Voice: (858)456-0098 • TTY: (858)456-0010 • Fax: (858)456-0020 • E-mail: [email protected] 9
Column 8
English Gloss eyebrows up that marking the topic "that car"
car
over there
short pause
want
head says "yes" movement is "down-up" buy
end of thought
The DAC • Deaf Action Committee For SignWriting® • P.O. Box 517 • La Jolla • CA • 92038-0517 • USA Voice: (858)456-0098 • TTY: (858)456-0010 • Fax: (858)456-0020 • E-mail: [email protected] 10
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The DAC • Deaf Action Committee For SignWriting® • P.O. Box 517 • La Jolla • CA • 92038-0517 • USA Voice: (858)456-0098 • TTY: (858)456-0010 • Fax: (858)456-0020 • E-mail: [email protected]