The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-11-03
sign LANGUAGE OF The DEAF
ID THE FINGER TALK BUT
GElPHIC SYMBOLS.

Suppose lnaL you were suddenly TO De-
coinr deaf and that n man in trying TO tell
Won q story should snap his fingers and
nat hs knee as IL he we're calling something.
Couldn't you tell without half trying that
the story was about a dog? Why. even
yonr wife could guess that.
or suppose hat your wife. who is far
nom deaf even IL you supposedly are not.
should hear you kick over the f~ootstool
and should hurry in, lay her finger on her
Inns. cradle her arms in front Of her, the
Ieft elbow out from the body and finally
close her eyes and lay her mead sideways
on the palm of her hand well. even you
could guess hat she meant:
Hush! Tn baby's asleep"
Al of which goes to show that the tOngue
iant the only thing to talk with and that a
mau can grasp an idea ever IL his ears are
mere ornamental details. Upon this fact
the deaf and dumb have built up an entire
language and a most interesting study this
sign language is.
In the first place, il is not in the least
like the familiar spelling with the fingers
or manual language. which consists merely
in spelling words by means of arbitrary
ger signs for letters. The real sign Ian
glage is a collection of symbolic gestures.
what might be called associative signs.
Many Of them are as plain as that OF
anapping the fingers for a dog. grading
the arms for "A baby or closing the eyes and
reclining the head to indicate sleep. But
Others are not 50 unmistakable TO the I'M
initiated. though when once explained
they are not only clear. but often really
beautiful in their significance.
For instance, the sign for Christ is the
thrusting of the forefinger Of one hand
against the palm Of the other hand, TO indi-
cate the nails with which He was crucifed.
The sign for heaven is the very general one
of pointing upward.
That for GOO is a wide. arching sweep OF
the hands, from above downward. II con-
veys with unmistakable cIearness the quail
ties If supreme power, OF watching over all.
Of comprehending all.
If a mute wanted to say World without
end. - he would do il in three motions. The
closed fist Ia the sign for the earth, the globe.
Close the left hand in that way and pass the
open right hand around it and the sign be-
Comesthe one for world.
Bend the fingers and bring the two hands
together and that indicates with. Reverse
the motion and you have without. Put the
two forefngers together, forming a point or
apex. and you have IN sign for end.
The three signs for world without end
are made almost as quickly as the words
can he pronounced.
The signs for man and woman are inter-
esting. especially the latter. which is a Curl
Gus survival. IL originated when all women
wore bonnets tied under the chin. The sign
was a motion representing the drawing OF
the strings together. II is now simplihed to
a slight downward motion Of the hand from
the ear to the chin. Bonnets and strings
are gone, but the sign remains.
The sign for man is placing the open hand
against the forehead to indicate the brim Of
a cap on a hat. To indicate a boy. the sign
for man is given. then the height is shown
lust as anybody would do when saying
about 80 tall" The same method is used
TO show how young or old a girl is.
The sign for good is made with the open
hand. bringing it in from arms length as IL
u draw something toward one. The sign
for evil is that of pushing away.
The sign for life is to brush the hand
upward along the body tn indicate the
circulation Of the blood. That for death
is a curious dow inward movement not
easily described but having an unmis-
taxable feeling Of finality. Of meaning
the end Of everything. Eternity is repre-
santed by making circles with the extended
~forefnger. the connection being the pal
pable one between the two things which
have neither beginning nor end.
Walking is indicated by making the hands
20 as the feet do. first one and then
the other. A man riding horseback is
shown by placing the first n the second
finger Of the right hand astride of the first
finger Of the left hand.
4 woman riding is indicated by placing
the Two fingers Of the right ham one II
side Of the left f%oreinger to represent
the side saddle. But il a woman SHOULD
I've riding astride it would take two signs,
that for woman followed by the sign usually
referring to a man on horseback.
Reading il indicated by seeming 10 trace
the lines with the rOrefinger, as children
often do. except thai it is lone very rapidly.
The sign for a newspaper is made by a
number Of regular pattings on the left
hand with the right to indicate the mo-
ton Of the press in printing.
To illustrate the formation of sentences
take the question: Have you seen this
mornings paper?" The inquiry, Have
yon?" is made by giving the forefDger
y Ullle tNlSl, enulhR III "a POhhthiS ~ Nho
person addressed.
Seeing il indicated by holding mp the
first two fingers. slightly separated. and
with them showing. as it were. the sight
travelling outward from the eyes in two
straight lines. When seeing is meant
tho inside Of the hand is toward the face.
But when looking is meant the palm Of the
hand Is turned down and the fingers seem
I" pierce the air.
This gives us Have you SEEM The
noyt sign is the one for morning. IL is
made by placing one hand on the other
arm between the wrist and the elbow.
Afternoon would be shown by placing the
hand between elbow and shoulder.
Follow the sign for morning with that
Hor newspaper and you have the entire
question, A person Of experience in the
sign language will make these four with
incredible swiftness. blending them 80 dex-
~teruusly that To the uninitiated they appear
almost as one gesture.
The sign for cat is sometimes stroking
the arm; but generally it IL made with the
thumb and foTefinger NJ II drawing them
along rat whiskers at the side of III mouth.