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33

The Concept of Sequentialpiy in the Dkscription of Signs

CHILDREN, the palm orientation is down, while in the one-handed ver$ion of DIE, the palm is down and then up. The contrast between the two signs is in the seąuence of orientation, down-down as opposed to down-up.

The Dictionary of American Sign Language (DASL) describes the location of the sign GIYE as 0, the neutral location for signs without body contact. However, the contrast between the signs FI RST-PE RS O N-GIYE-TO-THIRD-PE RS ON and THIRD-PERSON-GIVE-TO-FIRST-PERSON is precisely in the location, and both of those signs show a seąuence of locations.

It is very important to understand that many signs have seąuences of hand-shapes, locations, orientations, or nonmanual signals but that the seąuence is not contrastive. For example, sonie signs show a seąuence of nonmanual signals, as with the sign ADMIT, which first has the lips pursed as the palm contacts the chest, and then the mouth opens as the hand moves away from the chest. A similar seąuence occurs in one yersion of the sign FINALLY as the hands change orientation (see Figurę 15). Without these nonmanual signals, the signs are not properly produced,

- - RE 15. Two versions of FINALLY.