The 5 Parameters

Each ASL sign can be broken down and analyzed into five separate features called Parameters. For a single sign to be correct, each of the five parameters must be correct.

1. Hand Shape
   1. This is the shape of your hand that is used to create the sign.
2. Palm Orientation
   1. The palm orientation of a sign refers to the position of the palms of your hands and the direction they are facing.
3. Location
   1. The location of a sign is where you place and form the sign in your signing area.
4. Movement
   1. The movement of a sign is the action that is used to create the sign.
5. Non-manual signals/ facial expressions
   1. These are the hardest but the often the most important elements of a sign. Specific non-manual signals (NMS) alter the meaning of a sign. NMS consist of head nods/shakes, eyebrows, mouth, lips, tongue, cheeks, and shoulders each carry meaning that can be attached to a sign. Some signs have what we call a neutral expression; you are not happy or sad, no emotion is used for this sign. If you sign something without giving the proper facial expression or using the appropriate non-manual signals, the meaning of your sentence can be lost or misconstrued. Remember, your facial expression should match the meaning and content of what you’re signing so if you’re signing I am happy, then look happy!

Mouth morphemes in ASL

http://editora-arara-azul.com.br/ebooks/catalogo/3.pdf

MOUTH MOVEMENT / DESCRIPTION / EXAMPLE:

CHA / big (height, length, size) / MOTHER WANT COFFEE LARGE

TH / clumsy, lousy

Puffed Cheeks / very fat, long ago, many / POINT JAPAN SUMO WRESTLER WOW FAT

Clenched teeth / very many, huge, smart, sexual climax, dark, dangerous / BELT (DARK) BROWN

Tongue out & down / not-yet, ugh, accident, lousy, erratic, hungry, exaggerate / TEACHER NOT-YET COME CLASS

STA-STA / struggle, long process

Pursed lips / work hard, read carefully, sorry, hearing person, persevere, secret

Pursed lips with twiggled nose / characteristic, the way it is

Puckered up lips (mmm) / write, drive, read, curious, medium-sized, comfortable / POINT SOFA COMFORTABLE

Puckered up lips with “AWFUL” sign / interesting, wow

FOR-FOR / what for, why, how come / I SIT TTY YOU COME BOTHER FOR FOR?

PAH / finally, big success

POWOO (Pow-oo) / stricken, forget, boom

WATT / don’t want, want / MY WIFE DON’T-WANT EAT FISH

SOO tired, cold, dirty, delicious, good riddance, curious, close call

SOW / very cold, very tired, very hard, very embarrassed

FISH / finish, stop it / MY HOMEWORK FINISH

PUTT / tend, give in

POW / explode, hit hard, trigger a gun, repress, hot temper

SHH / use exceedingly, make out, poke fun, wild time

MUM-MUM / win an unbroken series of games, nab many suspects

FK / skip work, ignore

PS-PS / fancy, chic

ASL Grammar

Ten Rules of ASL Grammar

Topic/Comment || Tense With Time || Simple Yes/No || Long Yes/No || Information Seeking || Pronominalization || Rhetorical || Ordering of Simple Sentences || Conditional || Negation

Just like most other languages, American Sign Language has a set of rules that it follows when being signed. You will be tested various times on your knowledge of the rules, as they are key to learning true ASL. A tool you can use to remember the rules is "TRIPSTONCL", you've probably heard about it in class, and it goes like this:

1. Topic/Comment
2. Rhetorical
3. Information Seeking
4. Pronominalization
5. Simple Yes/No
6. Tense With Time
7. Ordering of Simple Sentences
8. Negation
9. Conditional
10. Long Yes/No

Below are the definitions of each grammatical rule, and an example of each written in English Gloss (and then put into English).

Topic/Comment - In a simple topic/comment sentence, the topic is described first, followed by the comment.

Example: HER MONEY LOST, SHE UPSET

English: She's upset that she lost her money

The topic was described first (her money was lost) and then the comment followed (she was upset).

Tense with Time - The time sign is placed at the beginning or near the beginning of a sentences.

Example: YESTERDAY, ME STAY HOME

English: I stayed home yesterday.

The time sign was "yesterday" and was located near the beginning of the sentence.

Simple Yes/No - Short sentences that ask a yes/no question. The order of the signs varies.

Example: EXERCISE YOU WANT YOU? with eyebrows raised

English: Do you want to exercise?

The sentence given was short and the answer would be a yes or a no; the order of the signs could be moved around as well and mean the same thing.

Long Yes/No - Long yes/no questions, sometimes they use a topic/comment format.

Example: CAT BLACK TREE CLIMB, YOUR? with eyebrows raised

English: Is that black cat climbing the tree yours?

The question was longer than that of a simple yes/no; the topic was described before the comment (which was the "your" part).

Information Seeking - Simple questions that ask for information. They can have variable sentence structures, and rely sometimes on non-manual signals to distinguish them from a declarative sentence.

Example: OLD++ YOU? with eyebrows squeezed

English: How old are you?

The question was short and simple, the sentence structure doesn't really have much to change though. Normally, non-manuals would be used in all three question situations.

Pronominalization - Pronouns are indicated by pointing to either a person or thing that is present, or a place in the signing space that is used as a referent point for a person or thing. Pointing is mostly done with the index finger, but eye gazing and other handshapes are sometimes used.

Example: MY BROTHER VISIT-ME

English: My brother is visiting me.

In this case, the pronominalization was when "he" was used; you could either be pointing at the brother or a spot in your signing space to refer to as "he".

Rhetorical - In a rhetorical question, the signer asks a question and then answers it.

Example: ME KNOW ASL? YES.

English: I know ASL.

The signer asked his or her question, and then answered it; by doing so, we knew he or she knows ASL.

Ordering of Simple Sentences - In simple sentences, the verb can be placed before or after the object of the sentence.

Example: GAME ME PLAY

English: I'm playing a game.

The sentence was short and simple, and we were allowed to move around the verb and not have it change the sentence.

Conditional - In a conditional sentence, the condition is described first, then the outcome of the condition is described.

Example: SUPPOSE SHE SEE ME, ME HAVE-TO LEAVE

English: I will have to leave if she sees me.

In most conditional statements, the word "suppose" is used; the condition was said first (suppose she sees me), and then the outcome came afterward (I'll have to leave).

Negation - You can negate a thought by placing a negative sign before the verb or by first describing a topic and then signing the appropriate negative sign, or by giving a negative head shake.

Example: ME NOT WATCH FOOTBALL GAME.

English: I'm not watching the football game.

In this case, the word "not" was the negation portion of the sentence, making the sentence negative.