Wiktionary:Votes/pl-2015-12/Entry name: sign languages/diffASGN

Entry names

Some sign language dictionaries organize signs according to English glosses. Readers must know a sign's meaning in order to locate its entry in such a dictionary. To serve the reader who has encountered a sign but does not know its meaning, the English Wiktionary gives each sign entry name as a rough description of postures, holds, and moves of one or two hands. Each such posture, hold, and move is separated from the others by a space and is itself divided into phonemes:

• Handshape@Location-Facing: A posture of the dominant hand. That is, its handshape, location, and facing/orientation.
• DominantHandshape@Location-Facing-NondominantHandshape@Location-Facing: A posture of both hands. That is, their handshapes, locations, and facing/orientations.
• Move: The dominant hand moves from one posture to the next. The nondominant hand is not in use.
• (DominantHandMove)-NondominantHandMove: The nondominant hand moves from the previous posture to the next.

Detailed description of phonemes used in sign entry names

Note: The following list of sign language phonemes may be extended without a vote as additional phonemes are identified.

Moves

The following entry name values specify that the hand moves differently from the usual straight, direct path:

• Round...: The hand moves in a round path in a given plane.
• Seven...: The hand moves in a large angled path in a given plane, tracing a large "7" path.
• ...Horiz: Along a horizontal plane, parallel with the ground. The hand moves with a single constant height.
• ...Vert: Along a vertical plane like the one in front of the signer's body. The hand moves with a single constant distance forward.
• ...Midline: Along a midline plane, like the one that divides the left side of the body from the right. The hand moves equally far to the left or right.
• ...Surface: Along a plane parallel to the surface of the body. The hand moves with a single constant distance from the body.
• ...Oblique: An “oblique plane” is horizontal from side to side but sloped upward in the forward direction.
• Slow: The hand moves in a slow path, taking a deliberately long time to reach the next posture.
• Fast: The hand moves in a fast, taking a deliberately short time to reach the next posture.
• Accel: The hand moves in an accelerating path.
• Tense: The hand moves with a tense quality.
• Small: The hand moves in a small path.
• Large: The hand moves in a large, exagerated path.
• Contact: The moving hand makes contact with the body or the other hand.
• Wiggle: The extended fingers repeatedly flex and extend slightly.
• Hook: The hooked fingers (those fully extended only at the base joint) repeatedly flex and extend.
• Flatten: All bent fingers (those flexed only at the base joints) repeatedly flex and extend at the first joint.
• Twist: The hand, wrist, and part of the forearm twist back and forth.
• Nod: The hand bends alternately down and up at the wrist.
• Release: The thumb repeatedly releases and restrains the closed fingers.
• Rub: The pads of the thumbs repeatedly rub the pads of one or more fingers.
• Circles...: The hand makes small circles in a specified plane.
• Squeeze: The hand repeatedly squeezes together into a fist and opens up.
• Sidetoside: The hand moves repeatedly from side to side.
• Frontandback: The hand moves repeatedly frontwards and backwards.
• Upanddown: The hand moves repeatedly up and down.

Handshapes

A handshape may be one of the following common shapes:

• 1@...: The ASL '1' handshape. Only the index finger is extended. The thumb is opposed and closed, its pad contacting the closed fingers. (1o-p)
• 4@...: The ASL '4' handshape. All four fingers are extended and spread apart. The thumb is oposed and closed to the palm. (4o-)
• 5@...: The ASL '5' handshape. All four fingers are extended and spread apart. The thumb is unopposed and extended. (4u)
• Claw5@...: The ASL 'Claw 5' handshape. All four fingers and thumb are spread apart and loosely bent, resembling a claw. (4u)
• 6@...: The ASL '6' handshape. The little finger is closed, the other fingers extended and spread apart. The thumb is opposed and bent across the palm, restraing the fingernail of the closed finger. (6o^f)
• 7@...: The ASL '7' handshape. The ring finger is closed, the other fingers extended and spread apart. The thumb is opposed and bent across the palm, restraining the fingernail of the closed finger. (7o^f)
• 8@...: (8o^f)
• 9@...: (9o^f)
• A@...: (Au^)
• OpenA@...: (Au)
• B@...: (Bo-)
• OpenB@...: (Bu)
• BentB@...: (B^u)
• C@...: (B~o)
• FlatC@...: (B^o)
• SmallC@...: a.k.a. "Reduced C" or "Bent L" (1~o)
• D@...: (Dot)
• E@...: (B"o-)
• FlatF@...: (9op)
• G@...: (1^o)
• H@...: (Ho-f)
• I@...: (Io-f)
• L@...: (1u)
• K@...: (Ko^)
• M@...: (Mo^)
• N@...: (No^)
• O@...: (B~oc)
• FlatO@...: (B^oc)
• R@...: (Ro-f)
• S@...: (So-)
• T@...: (To^)
• V@...: (Vo-f)
• BentV@...: (V"~o-f)
• X@...: (1"~o-f)
• OpenX@...: (1"~u)
• ILY@...: (yu)
• Corna@...: (=o-f)

As an alternative to the common handshapes above, a handshape in an entry name may be a combination of the following values:

• A...@...: Four fingers closed, pads contact palm.
• S...@...: Four fingers closed, tips contact palm.
• 1...@...: Index finger extended, others closed.
• !...@...: Middle finger extended, others closed.
• I...@...: Little finger extended, others closed.
• Y...@...: Little finger extended and spread, others closed.
• =...@...: Index finger and little finger extended and parallel, others closed.
• y...@...: Index finger and little finger extended and spread, others closed
• H...@...: Index finger and middle finger extended and together, others closed.
• V...@...: Index finger and middle finger extended and spread, others closed.
• K...@...: Index finger extended, middle finger partly open, other fingers closed.
• D...@...: Index finger extended, all others partly open.
• R...@...: Index finger and middle finger crossed, others closed.
• r...@...: Middle finger extended, index finger partly open and crossed under middle finger, others closed.
• W...@...: All fingers extended and together except for closed little finger (pinky).
• 6...@...: All fingers extended and spread except for closed little finger (pinky).
• 7...@...: All fingers extended and spread except for closed ring finger.
• 8...@...: All fingers extended and spread except for closed middle finger.
• F...@...: All fingers extended and together (not spread) except for closed index finger.
• 9...@...: All fingers extended and spread except for closed index finger.
• B...@...: All four fingers extended and together.
• 4...@...: All four fingers extended and spread.
• T...@...: All four fingers closed, index finger spread by thumb.
• N...@...: All four fingers closed, middle finger spread from ring finger by thumb.
• M...@...: All four fingers closed, fing finger spread from little finger (pinky) by thumb.
• ..."...@...: The extended fingers are retracted at the tipard joints to form a hook.
• ...^...@...: The extended fingers are bent only near the palm.
• ...~...@...: The fingers are lax. It has a less rigid shape.
• ...u@...: The thumb is in an unopposed rotation and fully extended, leaving the palm flat.
• ...u-@...: The thumb is unopposed and fully closed, with the palm nearly flat, the thumb pad facing down toward the wrist.
• ...u^@...: The thumb is unopposed and bent at the proximal joint, with the palm flat, the thumb against the radial edge of the palm.
• ...u"@...: The thumb is unopposed and hooked, forming a gap between the thumb pad and the edge of the palm.
• ...o@...: The thumb is in an opposed rotation and fully extended, with the joint near the wrist flexed so that the thumb base draws inward to make a valley in the palm and the thumb tip may easily contact the tip of any finger.
• ...o-@...: The thumb is in an opposed rotation and fully closed, pressing against the palm or against any closed the fingers, the thumb pad facing toward the wrist.
• ...o^@...: The thumb is opposed and bent at the wrist and the base, forming a valley in the palm, the thumb pointing diagonally across the hand, to the base of the little finger.
• ...o"@...: The thumb is opposed and hooked, forming a valley in the palm and an open space between the thumb pad and the palm.
• ...c@...: The thumb tip contacts a finger tip of the same hand.
• ...p@...: The thumb pad contacts the finger pad or the inside or radial side of a finger of the same hand.
• ...f@...: The thumb restrains one or more fingers of the same hand by holding the fingernails or the backs of the fingers.
• ...t@...: The thumbnail or back of the thumb is restrained by the pad of a finger of the same hand.

Locations

The hand may be located with respect to the other hand, the body, or space.

If the hand is not directly contacting given location, the entry name has one of the following proximity values:

• ...@Near...: Near the body or other hand.
• ...@From...: A medial distance from the body or other hand.
• ...@Distal...: Distal from the body or other hand.

If the hand is located with respect to a point on the opposite hand, the entry name uses a combination of the following zone and hand part values to indicate a point on the opposite hand:

• ...@In...: The inside. The side nearest the palm.
• ...@Back...: The backside. The opposite side of the palm.
• ...@Radial...: The radial edge. The side closest to the thumb and index finger.
• ...@Ulnar...: The ulnar edge. The side closest to the little finger.
• ...@Tip...: The tip. The end of a finger or thumb.
• ...@Base...: The base. The end closest to the elbow.
• ...@Palm: The inner side of the hand.
• ...@...Forearm: The forearm. The half of the arm from elbow to wrist.
• ...@...Wrist: The wrist. Where the base of the hand rests on the tip end of the forearm.
• ...@...Hand: The whole hand.
• ...@...Finger: The fingers.
• ...@...Thumb: The thumb.

If the hand is contacting or near the body, the entry name has one of the following values:

• ...@Backhead: The back of the head.
• ...@Top: The top of the head.
• ...@Forehead: The center of the forehead.
• ...@Sfhead: The side of forehead.
• ...@Nose
• ...@Cheek
• ...@Ear
• ...@Mouth
• ...@Lip: The lower lip, above the chin, below the mouth.
• ...@Jaw
• ...@Chin
• ...@Neck
• ...@Shoulder
• ...@Sternum: Below the neck, above the chest.
• ...@Chest: Below the sternum, above the trunk.
• ...@Trunk: Below the chest, above the abdomen.
• ...@Abdomen: Below the trunk.
• ...@Upperarm: The upper arm.
• ...@Forearm
• ...@Leg

If the hand is located in space more or less than about an elbow's length from the body, the entry name has one of the following proximity values:

• ...@Near...: Out a proximal distance from the body, within a few inches.
• ...@Distal...: Out a distal, comfortable arm's length from the body, away.
• ...@Extend...: Out to a fully extended arm's length away from the body.

Locations in space are given with a side-to-side element and a height:

• ...@Center...: On the plane that divides the body into right and left halves.
• ...@Inside...: Lateral with the breast, on the same side of the body as the postured hand.
• ...@Side...: Lateral with the shoulder, on the same side of the body as the postured hand.
• ...@Left1...: 30 degrees left of center.
• ...@Left2...: 60 degrees left of center.
• ...@Left3...: Directly to the left, 90 degrees left of center.
• ...@Right1...: 30 degrees right of enter.
• ...@Right2...: 60 degrees right of center.
• ...@Right3...: Directly to the right, 90 degrees right of center.
• ...@...Tophigh: As high as the top of the head, above the forehead.
• ...@...Foreheadhigh: As high as the forehead, below the top of the head, above the nose.
• ...@...Nosehigh: As high as the nose, below the forehead, above the mouth.
• ...@...Mouthhigh: As high as the mouth, below the nose, above the chin.
• ...@...Chinhigh: As high as the chin, below the mouth, above the neck.
• ...@...Neckhigh: As high as the neck, below the chin, above the sternum.
• ...@...Sternumhigh: As high as the sternum, below the neck, above the chest. This height is treated as the default in entry pagenames.
• ...@...Chesthigh: As high as the chest, below the sternum, above the trunk.
• ...@...Trunkhigh: As high as the trunk, below the chest, above the abdomen.
• ...@...Abdomenhigh: As high as the abdomen, below the trunk.

Facing/orientation

By default the hand is assumed to be oriented in a natural, relaxed direction, e.g. palm facing the opposite hand, either below the shoulders with the tip pointing away from the signer or in a higher location with the tip pointing up. Otherwise, a hand part (from above) is specified as the part of the hand facing, along with one of the following directions:

• ...@...-...Forward: The indicated part of the hand is facing forward, toward the vertical plane ahead.
• ...@...-...Back: The indicated part of the hand is facing backward, away from the vertical plane ahead.
• ...@...-...Up: The indicated part of the hand is facing up, away from the horizontal plane below.
• ...@...-...Down: The indicated part of the hand is facing down, toward the horizontal plane below.
• ...@...-...Across: The indicated part of the hand is facing toward the contralateral side of the body, across and beyond the opposite lateral side.
• ...@...-...Aside: The indicated part of the hand is facing aside, toward the ipsilateral side of the body, away from the center of the body.

When multiple signs are transcribed with the same title, they are treated like homographs, and each gets its own complete entry on that page.

The "Sign gloss:" namespace links to these entries using glosses as the page names: Sign gloss:FOOD links to the ASL entry FlatO@Mouth-PalmBack.