67232 Obraz (76)

UNIT

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jLmk

I lic Stokoe System

GOAL

lo expl,iin Stokoe's system for describing signs.

SUPPLEMENTAL READINGS

"Signs I 1ave Parts: ASimple Idea/' by Robbin Battison (1980); pp. 215-225

"Inlroduction," from A Dictionary of American Sign Language, by

William C. Stokoe (1965; 1976); pp. 226-240

In miii I. wc saw tli.it ASI, signs have internal structure; that is, that they can be bro-k< • 11 down inlo smallcr parts. Those parts include handshape, location, movement, palm oricnlation, and nomnannal signals. In this unit, we examine the first system dcviscd lot the lormal descriplion of signs. Homework Assignment 2 introduced you lo labrlling syslems. In the First section, you described the handshape for each sign; ni Ilu* sccond and third seetions you described the location and the movement of Mg,os. You liave probably discovered that therc may be different Solutions to the same pioblem. I'br example, the handshape of PREACU can be described as a 9 or as an /^;. llicrc arc different signs for LOBSTER; both BUSY and COMMUTE can be <11 s( libed as liavinga back-and-forth movement.

I Iic rcali/.ation that emerges from the homework assignment is that there is a need Im cousislcncy and uniformity in a descriptive system. Arguments can be madę I o i choosing eilher 9 or F as the label for the handshape in PREACH, but once a elioiee ol lahcl 11 a s bcen madę, it mustbe used consistently. In addition to consisten-cv, llicrc is a nced for precision, so that if the movement in both BUSY and COM-Ml )’l K, can bc described as back cind forth, sonie way must be created to uniquely dcsciibc Ilic ni()vcmcnt in each sign. The movement in sonie signs, such as \I’PR( )A( d I or I)IVIDK, may bc difficult to describc, making the need for precision in dcs( i iplious cvcn morę imporlant.

1111 STOKOI SYSTEM

William ( I. Stokoe devised llic lirsl system lor describing signs. Bclorc Stokoe, signs were llioiudil ol as unanaly/ahlc wliolcs, willi no iiilcrnal slruelure. Slokoc was llic