Sign Language Among North American Indians Compared With That Among Other Peoples And Deaf-Mutes eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 430 pages of information about Sign Language Among North American Indians Compared With That Among Other Peoples And Deaf-Mutes.

Sign Language Among North American Indians Compared With That Among Other Peoples And Deaf-Mutes eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 430 pages of information about Sign Language Among North American Indians Compared With That Among Other Peoples And Deaf-Mutes.

[Illustration:  Fig. 236.]

The sign most commonly used for this idea is made by the hand being closed near the breast, with the back toward the breast, then as the arm is suddenly extended the hand is opened and the fingers separated from each other. (Mandan and Hidatsa I.)

Hands open, palms turned in; move one hand toward, and the other from, the body; then vice versa. (Omaha I.)

Throw the clinched right hand forward, downward, and outward, and when near at arm’s length, suddenly snap the fingers from the thumb as if sprinkling water. (Wyandot I.) “To throw away contemptuously; not worth keeping.”

Raise hand in front of breast, fingers hooked, thumb resting against second finger, palm downward (G), then with a nervous movement throw the hand downward to the right and a little behind the body, with an expression of disgust on the face.  During motion of hand the fingers are suddenly extended as though throwing something out of the hand, and in final position the fingers and thumb are straight and separated, palm backward (R 1). (Sahaptin I.) “Away with it!”

Another:  Same motion of arm and hand as in good.  But in the first position fingers are closed, and as the hand moves to the right they are thrown open, until in final position all are extended as in final for good. (Sahaptin I.)

Extend the right hand, palm downward, and move it in a horizontal line from the body, then suddenly turn the hand over as if throwing water from the back of it or the index. (Comanche I.) “Good, no.”

Pass the flat right hand, interruptedly, downward and backward past the right side. (Pima and Papago I.) “Putting aside.”

Deaf-mute natural signs

Hold forward the closed hand with the little finger up, at the same time nodding the head. (Ballard.)

Draw the tongue out a little and then shake the head with a displeased look. (Larson.)

Use the sign for handsome (see first part of the sign for GOOD), at the same time shake the head as if to say “no.” (Ziegler.)

Deaf-mute signs

The hand closed (except the little finger which is extended and raised), and held forward with the fingers to the front is the sign for bad illustrated in the Report for 1879 of the Ohio Institution for the Deaf and Dumb.  This sign is used among the deaf-mutes in England.

BEAR, ANIMAL.

Pass the hand before the face to mean ugliness, at the same time grinning and extending the fingers like claws. (Burton.)

Hands in front of and about eight inches above the elbows, fingers slightly bent and open, thumbs and palms to the front to represent claws,—­or bear in standing position.  Sometimes accompanied by clawing motion. (Creel.)

(1) Middle and third finger of right hand clasped down by the thumb, forefinger and little finger extended, crooked downward; (2) the motion of scratching made in the air. (Cheyenne II.) Fig. 237.

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Sign Language Among North American Indians Compared With That Among Other Peoples And Deaf-Mutes from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.