Difference Between Descriptive Name Signs And Arbitrary Name Signs
Rubie Mccloughan
Name signs have existed in Greek Deaf culture since antiquity. However, little is known about Greek Sign Language (GSL) and the Greek Deaf community. Based on interviews with 200 people, the phonological characteristics of Greek name signs are described, as well as the frequency of occurrence of specific name signs and the influence of spoken Greek. Comparisons are made with American Sign Language and the naming process in general Greek culture. The Greek Deaf community uses both types of name signs, descriptive name signs (DNS) and arbitrary name signs (ANS). The most popular form of naming uses the DNS process. Name signs are not passed down within families but are assigned by members of the Deaf community or by Deaf peers in the educational setting. Once a name sign has been assigned it stays with the recipient, usually for life. Traditionally, most name signs describe personal characteristics, but with many hearing people now learning GSL, initialized signs are appearing. Whether the Greek Deaf community will accept this practice remains uncertain.
Difference Between Descriptive Name Signs And Arbitrary Name Signs
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THE ARBITRARY NAME SIGN SYSTEM IN AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE Samuel J. Supalla Abstract Two systems of sign naming Name signs in American Sign Language (ASL) are the proper names of persons in a community using a visual-gestural language. As a deaf child in a deaf family I was given a name sign by my parents at birth; the sign: S-handshape makes a contacting movement on one side of the chin and then on the other side. It is custom in our community that each member has a name sign given by another member. Under certain circumstances a person may not acquire a name sign until he or she is older; e.g. when the person's parents are hearing and do not sign. Many children in the residential school for the deaf I attended arrived without name signs; and because I was a native signer my peers gave me the privilege of giving them name signs. My initial interest in understanding more about how ASL name signs are formed and used dates back to 1980, when I first identified and studied the two distinct systems that the deaf community used to create name signs. The basic argument is that a name sign may be either descriptive or arbitrary in its reference to the person named. A descriptive name sign refers to a person's appearance or characteristics; an arbitrary name sign simply names and has no other meaning. In what follows I will point out the distinctions between these system of naming and discuss in detail the linguistic properties and social factors of the arbitrary system. I will also argue that both name sign systems provide primary name signs for deaf children (i.e. are not used to create nicknames) and that only the arbitrary name sign system is native, as I have observed that whenever deaf parents have the opportunity to name a child, they use the arbitrary name sign system exclusively. Finally, I @1990 by Linstok Press, Inc. See note inside front cover. ISSN 0302-1475 99 S.Supalla will discuss the evolution of the arbitrary name sign system into its present form. As an active member of the deaf community, I have been exposed to thousands of name signs, their formation and usage. In analyzing the system I have relied on my native intuition and offer here a description of the phonological subsystem of ASL arbitrary sign names. To help confirm my intuitions I conducted an informal survey with seven deaf signers, six of them native and one near-native, all enrolled in different residential schools for the deaf across the United States. Each of them has confirmed my intuitions, and this suggests that the arbitrary name sign system as here described is used rather uniformly in the American deaf community. Nevertheless, I believe that more systematic research is needed in this area. In the matter of the social aspect, how name signs are used in the deaf community, more research is needed as well, although Mindess (1990, SLS 66) has added significantly to our knowledge of ASL name signs in general. My central interest in the arbitrary name sign system of ASL is that it is a phonological subsystem of the language; i.e. is a rulegoverned system for forming the naming signs themselves and is related to ASL phonology. There are other, non-linguistic, factors motivating my interest: first, the arbitrary name sign system is what deaf parents use to name their children; second, there is a serious misconception that name signs are strictly descriptive in nature, and consequently virtual no knowledge of the arbitrary name sign system. Name signs Proper names are apparently found in all cultures, and the deaf community in the United States is no exception. Every American child is presumed to receive a spoken name at birth or soon after, and that applies to the deaf child as well. The full name is usually made up of three parts, first, middle, and last, which serve as the official name of a person. In actual use the first name may be replaced by a diminutive or a nickname. In contrast to an official name in the spoken language, an ASL...
You do not invent your own name sign. Name signs may only be given by a person in the Deaf community. Some hearing people (like interpreters and teachers) mistakenly give name signs without realizing they are in violation of Deaf culture traditions. However, a name sign cannot be assigned by a hearing person.
A name sign is not something a non-native or hearing person can make up or invent for oneself. It is treated in the similar way Native Americans give names to honorary members from the outside. A new name sign is sometimes mutually agreed between a person and her/his Deaf peers, family, or community. It's not unusual that a hearing person don't get a name sign at all, even if they have a deaf friend.
Unlike a birth name on their birth certificate, a sign name can be changed once or so in a person's lifetime for some reason or it may remain the same for years since its first naming. Deaf signers usually have the birthright to change their own name signs.
In bilingual deaf schools, a deaf newcomer may not have a name sign. Deaf teachers eventually will give them name signs, especially young ones. Deaf parents give name signs to their children at very early age, sometimes as newborn or months later or, in few cases, few years later.
In bilingual deaf schools, Deaf teachers use deaf students' name signs as everyone has a name sign. When a new deaf student comes to the school without a name sign, Deaf teachers will eventually give them.
The most common areas of the initialized name signs are: upper head-side, lower head-side, mid-level space, dominant hand on the passive hand, dominant hand on the passive shoulder, chest, and occasionally other parts of the face (e.g. chin).
There are two common types of name signs: initialized (also known as arbitrary) and descriptive name signs. Initialized name signs are more common in North America, whereas descriptive (non-initialized) name signs are common in Europe and some other continents. Although, in few cases, North American Deaf people decide to switch their initialized name signs to non-initialized name signs.
Initialized or arbitrary name sign consists of the first letter(s) of a person's name. It may be a single initial letter of the first name or double initial letters of the full name. E.g. A. L. for Abraham Lincoln on the head. Double-initial signs would reduce the chances of being similar name signs of others.
Descriptive name signs are largely used in other countries where their native sign languages were not affected by, for example, artificial spoken-based signing systems. A name sign assigned is usually based on a unique or personal characteristics of the person, such as a similar sound or meaning of a person's name or surname in a native language; physical appearance, manners, habits, or personality traits; career or occupation or such.
During the pandemic from 2000, social gatherings on Zoom or other web conferencing tools boomed that Deaf users begin to address name signs to others because signers don't know who a person is signing to. Everyone makes eye contact with virtually everyone.
Nearing the end of two-year graduate studies, my graduate fellows were shocked to learn that they had temporary name signs for nearly two years that I assigned to each of them, but they were disposable informal name signs anyway. It wasn't really a secret, just a private business between my interpreter and myself that we used to refer to the students.
Many hearing people are fascinated by the idea of name signs and want one for themselves. However, it is important to realize that there is a distinctive culture, tradition, and history that need to be respected. As Dr. Supalla noted in his book, the primary purpose of giving a name sign is to identify a person. The name sign represents that person and is decided on by the local Deaf community. But the tradition of giving name signs serves more than just the identification purpose. It also signifies that that person is an integral part of the Deaf community.
A very interesting fact is that, unlike written names, name signs are not commonly given at birth (that is because most Deaf children are born to hearing parents). Kids whose family members are not part of the Deaf community typically receive their name signs later in life, usually by their peers or a well-respected authority figure in the Deaf community.
Hi, what a good question to ask about signing name. I had experience students asking me similar and when they "can" get or create a sign name. Creating an sign name would give you an identity and you may become more motivated to learn more sign language. Signing name is very unique to deaf/ hoh community. I have two signing name. The one signing name I grew up using JA for whole of my life was given from my deaf parents who able identified my twin brother and I. His signing name "JT" means Justin and mine is "JA" means Jonathan. Just finger spell the word J.A. without (.) that was my signing name for almost 25 years of my life...but then I wanted to change new signing name is more descriptive than arbitrary. Four years ago, I went to France there are large deaf communities there using descriptive sign name rather than letter word signed name. I decided to change my sign name to "4" movement twice on my head it shows my hair spiked. I always had it that way for long time. It is my personality. I can help you with that if you want. I am good with giving people sign name. You can have more than one signing name and have a story to tell how you grown learning about language and deaf culture as you learn too.
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