Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-05-04
SIGN LANGUAGE OF THE MOnNs.

A simple Method Of Expressing MANY
Ideas without. the u. Of words
Make letter A with your hands
and the ends OF your hngorsi that is
u tepec or tent Keep your hands in
that position and bond them down so
that your fingers point away from
you; that's house, and a very good
one, too, because 1t shows how tho
logs are intcrlocked ut tho corners OF
the sort OF houses one eecs on tho
frontier. If you want to say you
raw something, point to your eyes.
To say you heard something, point 10
your ears. To say you slept or are
sleepy, put up one hand, with the
palm side toward your head and bond
your head as II you were going to lay
1t on that hand.
To say that you saw some ono who
was beautiful, put your face between
the thumb and fingers OF one hand
and draw your hand softly down
from your forehead 10 your chin.
A faint smirk or smile made at the
same time greatly helps the sign. II
the beauty you tell about was a
woman, mike believe take hold Of
mass of hair ON the right side OF
your head and follow 1t down past
the shoulder with your hand, M you
sec women do when they dress their
hnir. These signs for seeing hear.
ing, sleep, beauty, and women aro
exactly the same Us those used by
George l.. Fox, the famous clown,
when he played "Humpty Dumpty."
have no doubt that Grimaldi, the
great English clown, also used them,
for they are tho natural motions fol-
expressing those terms.
Did you ever notice how the paws
OF small animals arc curled in when
they are dcadi That ~ the sign for
"diedn or dead" Hold one hand
out with the fingers bent toward the
thumb TO make the sign. But II you
would say some one was killed, hold
out fist with the knuclsles away
from you, and move the wrist slowly
no as to force the knucllcs down IA
II the person was struck down. To
tell about a child, hold your hand rs
far from the ground Us its head
would reach. Put u finger up to
either side Of the head to say Cow"
10 say deer put NJ all your fingers
like branching horns, But another
way to tell about deer il to initiate
his Looping with one Of your hands
To tell OF snake, wigglo one fin.
ger in the air as snake would move
ON the ground. That sign Is the namc
for two tribes of Indians. The sign
for u Sioux is to mako believe cut
your throat with one finger; for u
Blackfoot, point TO your foot; for a
Blood. wipe your fingers across your
mouth; for white man, rub your
hand across your forehead to show
how white our foreheads are; for n
Piegan, rub one cheek.
The sign for water IL 10 make u
scoop Of your hand and put 1t to your
mouth as you would II you were
drinking ut stream. To tell Of q
lake make that sign and spread GU,
your bands TO cover big space. To
tell of river make the water sign
and then trace the meandering coursl
OF river with your finger, But til,
sign for whisky is made by doubling
up one fist and drinking out OF the
top of it us If ii were u bottle. 4
you do that and make believe TO stii
up your brains with ono finger, o.
reel a little, you will describe tips!
man. Nearly all signs in the Ian
guage are made with the right hand
Julian Ralph in Harper's Younl
People.