The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1883-06-01
SIGN LANGUAGE.
The Way in Which Deaf and Dumb PEG
pie Talk.

| No one seeing the sign language can
help admiring its beauty and graceful.
ness. This language is very simple, and
anyone taking the trouble 10 study il
with one OF the speaking employees at
the asylum who are acquainted with il,
could soon acquire il. 1t is universal
among mutes. and is founded upon the
most natural and convenient way of i'm
itating the forms of objects spoken of.
| or making some sign which suggests
some quality or trait of il wherever this
| is possible. Here are few examples
of the way different things are expires.
sed:
DOg-Slap the right thigh just above
the knee with the right hand Gas if in
viting a dog to come TO you).
Girl-ClOse the right hand. leaving
thumb sticking out. Pass the thumb
over the cheek n few times. downward
strokes Indicating perhaps, mo
bcard").
Boy--C Close and open the thumb of
the right hand against the fingers rap
| idly several times near and in front of
| the forehead. the back Of the hand be-
ing upward.
Man-Same sign. and Immediately
raise the hand h 9Th above the head lin
dicating thigh bOy"D.
HOuse-Touch the points of the ex-
tended fingers and draw both hands OBJ
liquely down, the right toward the right
and the left toward the left. AS if de-
scribing the top of u roof.
Hat-Take of the hat and put il on
again. If you happen TO have none on.
/ 4 hrn,,..l, la. Al L.,
hand.
BOOt-Extend the second finger of
both hands a1i draw up the leg, rs if
pulling on boot
BOOk-Press the fingers Of each hand
| together, and the thumbs against the
first fingers, place the lower edges of the
hands together and open and shut as n
book.
Cat--Move the hands rs il pulling II
mustache on both sides.
Epglishman- the edge of the
left hand back of little finger with the
right hand, the back of both being up.
German-Eytend the fingers of both
hands and cross the edges of the wrists.
the right one up; shake the fingers
slightly.
COlumbus-CrOOkt the thumb and fin
gers of the right hand to form the letter
g, and shake the hand
Deaf and Dumb-place the first fin
ger of the right hand to the lips and
then to the ear.
State House-Place the first fingers of
both hands to the right and left temples
respectively, and make the sign of
house, described above.
Penitentiary--CrOss the opened fin
gers of both hands to make bars. and
pass the hands across the sides TO midi
cate stripes.
These signs are. of course. much sim
pier than many others which must be
| seen to be described, but they serve to
show the manner i'm which the system
is formed. Abstract ideas are quite rs
easily and rapidly expressed, and it is
astonishing to note the few verbs and
adjectives it is necessary to spell out by
letters on fingers in long convcrsa-
ton. For instance. clapping the fingers
of the right hand and the palm of the
left means school; placing the palms
and fingers of both hands together,
prayer; waving the handkerchief in a
crowd where deaf mules are invariably
collects them together; to point the fin
gers of the right hand at the open palm
of the left and shake them commands
pupils to study: touching the left palm
with the fingers of the right had and
rapidly passing them toward til, head a
few times means to learn Chat is taking
knowledge from book into the head):
passing the right palm over the upper
end of the left list means enough, or
filled; pressing the first, second and
third fingers of the right hand against
the chin, with the thumb and small
finger extended to the right and left
respectively means to make mistake
or be wrong. etc. Ohio state Journal.