Parts of Signs

American Sign Language (ASL) can by its very nature not be satisfactorily described on paper; the parts of signs being learned must be taught and learned at as early a stage as possible.  Not only are ASL users to be fond in all parts of the country, but an increasing variety of videos and films is available.  The following brief summary is therefore intended only as a rough guide to the production of the principal signs.  Such a summary of signs must necessarily be inexact as well.  Now consider the breakdown of the following signs:

GOOD

	Onset Hold	Movement	Coda Hold	MH
Handshape(s)	B	away	B	n/a
Palm Orientation(s)	in	from	in	n/a
Location(s)	chin contact	signer	chin proximal	n/a

BAD

	Onset Hold	Movement	Coda Hold	MH
Handshape(s)	B	away	B	n/a
Palm Orientation(s)	in	from	down	n/a
Location(s)	chin contact	signer	chin proximal	n/a

THANK-YOU

	Onset Hold	Movement	Coda Hold	MH
Handshape(s)	B	away	B	n/a
Palm Orientation(s)	in	from	up	n/a
Location(s)	chin contact	signer	chin proximal	n/a

These three signs can best be identified through comparison with each other's corresponding parts: they share the same first (onset) part but they differ practically in the second (coda) parts. We can now say that one small linguistic change in a sign does make all the difference.

~Professor Carl

Reference:

Liddell, S. K., and Johnson, R. E. 1989. American Sign Language: The phonological base. Sign Language Studies 64:195-277.