The ASL Dictionary that finally sets the "standard" for all signs...

[Wheelin Rev]

You're right... It does not exist. At least as near as I can tell.

Based on a search of old posts here, it appears that the Random House American Sign Language Dictionary shown here at Amazon:

Amazon.com: Random House Webster's American Sign Language Dictionary: Books: Random House

might be the closest thing to a "standard" that says what version of a sign is "most" correct. I do see where customer comments state that this dictionary does not have a sign for "purple" although it has numerous "rarer" words.

I hope this thread does not turn in to one big argument. LOL

I'm just begining to learn ASL and everywhere I look (literally) there are multiple ways to sign the same word. Now that's OK WRT dialects, slang and whatnots; but surely there is a single sign that is THE sign for that word. No?

TIA! Dave

<edit>

Just noticed the reference to this dictionary:

Amazon.com: American Sign Language: A Comprehensive Dictionary: Books: Martin L. A. Sternberg

and quoting from the Amazon website:

"American Sign Language: A Comprehensive Dictionary (Harper, 1981) has been the standard source in libraries. It gives pronunciation for some words but has briefer definitions and no example sentences. It contains some insensitive and/or racist signs; a new edition will be published by HarperCollins in October."

Amazon.com: American Sign Language: A Comprehensive Dictionary: Books: Martin L. A. Sternberg

 

[dracotkk]

aren't various signs known among asl users though? such as different signs for the same thing... but i'm not an expert on how and what people know. so, any sign language users care to comment?

 

[jillio]

aren't various signs known among asl users though? such as different signs for the same thing... but i'm not an expert on how and what people know. so, any sign language users care to comment?

Signs are sometimes subject to the region in which you live. There will be slight variations on the way the sign is produced sometimes. Like a dialect in spoken language. But usually, the variation is not enough to prevent understanding.

 

[Your Mom]

Well take for example the sign movie, i know three signs for it. I think for the most part all ASL users are familiar with most of the variations.

 

[Wheelin Rev]

Well take for example the sign movie, i know three signs for it. I think for the most part all ASL users are familiar with most of the variations.

I see where there are different signs for the type of movie; comedy, horror, romantic, etc. per ASLPro's website (http://www.aslpro.com/cgi-bin/aslpro/aslpro) and there also a sign for just "movie."

Actually, this word may not be the best for this example, but...

Movie is a horizontal B hand, palm to signer and a vertical 5 hand, palm away from signer that pivots back and forth. That seems to be the most recognizable without much debate.

But...

Take the word "PIZZA" for example. It is presented in the lesson with two versions. One is using the signed "P" and another is using a bent "V."

My question would be, if one is to be considered the "more correct" way to sign the word pizza, which one should appear first in the dictionary?

Or is it that there is just no easy answer?

TIA! Dave

 

[Your Mom]

I see where there are different signs for the type of movie; comedy, horror, romantic, etc. per ASLPro's website (http://www.aslpro.com/cgi-bin/aslpro/aslpro) and there also a sign for just "movie."

Actually, this word may not be the best for this example, but...

Movie is a horizontal B hand, palm to signer and a vertical 5 hand, palm away from signer that pivots back and forth. That seems to be the most recognizable without much debate.

But...

Take the word "PIZZA" for example. It is presented in the lesson with two versions. One is using the signed "P" and another is using a bent "V."

My question would be, if one is to be considered the "more correct" way to sign the word pizza, which one should appear first in the dictionary?

Or is it that there is just no easy answer?

TIA! Dave

I dont use either of those for pizza. Theres actually a book called "whats your sign for pizza" because there are so many variations I use a sign that uses your thumb and pointer finger and make it into the shape of the larger end of a slice of pizza and put it towards your mouth.

I dont know that one or the other "should" appear first. Its like with diffrent varations of location you have different words, for example coke, soda, and pop. All are acceptable, none more so than the other. But everyone knows what you mean by the use of any of them.

A lot of words have a lot of differnt ways to sign them for example halloween, early, pizza, soda. Even the word deaf has a few different signs that i know of, "ear the cheek" "cheek to ear" "cheek and then 'culture'"

Personally I use cheek to ear, but I think all are pretty universally understood.

But to use as you said pizza, neither is more acceptable than the other. One should not come before the other, one is not superior to the other. Its no different than in spoken english where we have many different words for single things.

The sign that I use for movie is either the B hand or five hand moved swifly over my face. Usually B hand. But it doesnt mean that either is wrong or should be considered the 'slang verison' or a lesser version of the word.


I guess to simply answer your question, no there isnt a single sign that is the exact definate proper sign for a word. In many cases there are many accepted signs and one isnt considered THE sign for that word more so than any of the others. So maybe more common, but not definitivly THE sign for that word.

 

[Reba]

Some signs aren't "right" or "wrong" but regional.

Same as spoken English. Some words are regional.

Depending on where you are, you order a hoagie, grinder, or sub, with a soda or pop, and put it into a sack or bag. Then, you go home and sit on the sofa, couch or davenport while you eat your supper or dinner. If it gets dark while you eat, you can turn on, switch on, flip on, or mash the light switch.

Take your pick.

 

[Interpretrator]

Depending on where you are, you order a hoagie, grinder, or sub, with a soda or pop, and put it into a sack or bag.

And don't forget waiting in line or on line for it.

 

[Reba]

And don't forget waiting in line or on line for it.

 

[Your Mom]

Some signs aren't "right" or "wrong" but regional.

Same as spoken English. Some words are regional.

Depending on where you are, you order a hoagie, grinder, or sub, with a soda or pop, and put it into a sack or bag. Then, you go home and sit on the sofa, couch or davenport while you eat your supper or dinner. If it gets dark while you eat, you can turn on, switch on, flip on, or mash the light switch.

Take your pick.

But you see I like to watch the tv, tube, television, tv set, boob tube, baby sitter, small screen, telly, or idiot box, but to do so i usually need to search for the clicker, remote.

 

[Reba]

But you see I like to watch the tv, tube, television, tv set, boob tube, baby sitter, small screen, telly, or idiot box, but to do so i usually need to search for the clicker, remote.

 

[Your Mom]

Isnt this the reason we have a thesaurus for the american langauge, we have so many words that really all can be used synonomously.

 

[Wheelin Rev]

I'm starting to get the idea here. Now I understand why the very first sign to be learned in Lesson 1 at the ASL Unviersity (ASL - American Sign Language) is "again" or repeat. I think I'm going to be using that sign quite frequently. Dave

 

[EyesBlueDeaf]

ASL varies depending on
1) region
2) gender
3) age / historical
4) ethnic

I don't criticize anyone who signs differently. If I don't understand a sign, I would ask the person to tell me what the sign is THEN I would say "ah, interesting.. we from NJ sign this ______" I will wince if the person use S.E.E. signs but will not criticize.

 

[Interpretrator]

I'm starting to get the idea here. Now I understand why the very first sign to be learned in Lesson 1 at the ASL Unviersity (ASL - American Sign Language) is "again" or repeat.

Ha ha, that's a great first sign to learn, along with SLOW.

When I was first taking ASL classes I would get very stubborn about having to learn more than one sign for something. I was like "I'm going to sign it this way and that's the end of it!" Believe it or not this method actually worked pretty well until I got more used to the language and more comfortable with it, and started to be able to add more synonyms and alternate phrases. And of course now I want to know EVERY way to sign something!

So I would recommend not worrying too much about knowing all the ways something can be signed. Once you have a handle on the basics, you'll learn more just by interacting with deaf people in your area.

 

[Your Mom]

Ha ha, that's a great first sign to learn, along with SLOW.

When I was first taking ASL classes I would get very stubborn about having to learn more than one sign for something. I was like "I'm going to sign it this way and that's the end of it!" Believe it or not this method actually worked pretty well until I got more used to the language and more comfortable with it, and started to be able to add more synonyms and alternate phrases. And of course now I want to know EVERY way to sign something!

So I would recommend not worrying too much about knowing all the ways something can be signed. Once you have a handle on the basics, you'll learn more just by interacting with deaf people in your area.

In my experience I learned a sign one way from a book, and then with my girlfriend I would sign it and she would look at me funny and say "what the hell is that" and i would fingerspell what i was saying and she would teach me how she said it. So I ended up just feeling like I know more and I dont considered one or the other to be the correct version, yet rather one is a version that people in my region are more familiar with.

But it really comes in handy knowing the multiple signs for things when I want to watch ASL video blogs on you tube or something of the sort. For example I watched an ASL video on you tube reviewing a movie, and if i didnt know all the signs for movie that I do, i would have been lost because he uses one that I dont normally use.


And its just my experience but I often find that learning anything other than very basic signs from a book can get you in trouble, I learned the sign fingerspell in a book, but because the book wasnt animated I couldnt tell how to exactly do it and I ended up saying fingerfuck.

big mistake.

 

[Gobae]

You know though, this type of info is EXACTLY what ASL dictionaries are missing.

When I look up "sub", in an "American" English dictionary I get a list of all the regional variations, and there are even seperate entries for the variations.

It's about time some one should step up and do the work necessary to catalog ALL the ASL signs in use. Instead most ASL dictionaries are actually, Calafornia ASL dictionaries, since that's where they tend to be researched and published. (Former ASL teacher told us Berkley spearheaded publishing some of the first ASL dictionaries, so subsiquent ones have a CA regional tendancy.)

 

[Reba]

...
It's about time some one should step up and do the work necessary to catalog ALL the ASL signs in use. ...

Or at least publish regional addenda that could be purchased separately, as needed.

In SC, we not only have state specific signs, we also have regional signs within the state for the Lowcountry, the Midlands, and Upstate. Also, Southern rural black people use sign variations.

I have the books Signs Across America (A Look At Regional Differences in American Sign Language) by Edgar H. Shroyer and Susan P. Shroyer, and Signs Everywhere (A collection of signs for towns, cities, states, and provinces in the United States, Canada, and Mexico) by Nancy Kelly-Jones and Harley Hamilton. One problem: I found many of the SC sign versions in Signs Across America weren't actually used in my area. I don't know who they used for sources.

 

[eliotj]

I would never agree that there is a "STANDARD".

This would be to say there no colloquialisms.

I have "spoken" to people in the deep south that have indicated a difference in a sign, yet the people here use something different.
I have conferred with people in California that tell me they use things specific to their area.

I'm a newbie with regards to ASL, but I'm a FAR CRY from a novice with regards to linguistics.

Idioms and colloquialisms are just thos things: they are things that are specific to certain areas and can't be "standardized"

JMHO

 

[robbielyn]

I would never agree that there is a "STANDARD".

This would be to say there no colloquialisms.

I have "spoken" to people in the deep south that have indicated a difference in a sign, yet the people here use something different.
I have conferred with people in California that tell me they use things specific to their area.

I'm a newbie with regards to ASL, but I'm a FAR CRY from a novice with regards to linguistics.

Idioms and colloquialisms are just thos things: they are things that are specific to certain areas and can't be "standardized"

JMHO

I agree with you because, I am from NY and now I live in fl and there is no way in new york would they say: " I reckon y'all having grits for breakfast right?" That is colloq. not standardized.