Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1883-08-08
SIGN LANGUAGE.
The Way in Which Deaf ana Dumb Pec-
pie Talk.

No one seeing the siGu language can
help admiring It's beauty and graceful
ness This language Is very simple. ana
anyone taking the troaoie to study it
with one of tne speaking employees al
the asylum who are acquainted with it.
could soon acquire it. It is universal
aanag mates, and is founded upon the
most natural and convenirnt way of i'm
hating the forms of objects spoken of.
or making some sign which suggests
some quality or trait of it wherever this
is possible. Here are Il few examples
OF tae way different things are express
ged:
Dog-Slap TIE right thigh just above
the knee wiih the right hand Gas if in
Wiling y dog to come to you).
G,ri--Cio4a the rat hand. leaving
thumb sticking ouf. Pass the thumb
over the cheek few times. downward
strokes Indicating perhaps. ''no
beardc}.
Boy Close and open the thumb Of
the right han,! against the fingers rap
idly several times nHar-and in front of
the forahcal. the back OF the hand be-
ing upward.
NJ ,n--Sama sirn, AMI Immediately
raise the hand high above the head tin.
dieting high boy J.
House -Toach the paints of the ex-
tenae d fingers and draw BOT! hands 90.
iiqncis DOWN. the r;gtsi tow.rith right.
and the lett toward the lett, rs ii de.
scrihin.y the top Vt n roof.
Hat-Fakp of th' hat AMI pm. it on
again. Ii vow iiappaa to have none on,
20 through the motion with the empty
hand.
Boot Eyteni the second FINGER OF
both hand, and draw up the leg, as il
DnliInl. or boot.
Book Press The fingers Of each hand
sorether. and the thumbs AGAINST the
irst fingers. place the lower edges of the
aands together aud open and saut as :,
book.
Cat-Move the hands as if pulling i
mu,tache on both sides
Englishmaa Grasp the edge of the
left hand back Of little finger with the
right hand, the back OF hota being up.
German-Extend the fingers of both
hands and cross the ell gsS of the wrists.
the right one up; shake the fingers
slightly.
Columbus -C,,.o the thumb and fin
gers OF the right hand TO form the letter
c, AMI shake the hand.
Deaf and Dumb place the first fll-
ger of the right hand To the lip; and
then to the ear.
State House -Pla,;e the FIRST fingers Of
both hands TO the right and left temples
respectively. and make the siga of
house, described above.
Pentcntiary the opened fin
gers Of both hands to make bars, and
pass the hand, across the sides to iudi-
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 in which the system
is Termed. Abstract ideas are Glite as
easily and rapidly expressed. ani it is
astonishing to note the few yatbs and
adiectivcs it is necessary to spell out by
letters on fingers III long conversa-
| ton. For instance, clapping the fingers
| of the right hand and the palm OF the
left means school, placing the palms
| and fingers of bot, hands together.
PRAYER; waving the handkerchief in a
| crowd where de@f mules are invariably
collects them together; to point the tin
gers Of the right hand ut the opea palm
| Of the lett ana shake them commands
pupils 10 study; touching the left palm
with the fingers of the right hand and
rapidly passing them toward the head q
few times means to Learn Chat is taking
| knowledge from n book into the head)
| passing the rigat palm over the upper
end Of the left fist means enough, OF
| filed: pressing the first, second and
third fingers of the right hand against
the cain, with the thumb and small
finger extended to the right and left
respectively means to make a mistake
or be wrong, etc. - Chso State Joarnd.