My name sign is "beautiful" signed with an s handshape. I felt so honoured when I got it from a friend in the deaf community (she is deaf). It was cool to see the process of her and a few others trying to come up with a name sign for me that was unique and different from others.
Love the video!! As far as the names are concerned: Name signs that use the first letter of the person's name to describe a person's family or lineage is called an "arbitrary name sign". Name signs that describe a person's physical characteristics without using a handshape are called " descriptive name signs". And name signs that are both describe a physical characteristic with a handshape are called "nontraditional, or combined, name signs" :)
+Antonio Heckstall This is what I learned in ASL 2. I also learned that you don't assign yourself a name sign, as Jenna points out in the video. Good video, Jenna! Thanks for sharing your perspective!
I'm hearing and my name is only four letters, so I usually don't use my name sign. but I do have one, given to me by a Deaf friend who has since passed away, so I do use it on certain occasions in memory of her.
earlier this week I received my name sign from my individual I support. his mom ask who I was and he made an m sign and tapped his heart twice. I feel so lucky and blessed to receive this name sign.
I recently discovered your channel, and I look forward to seeing more videos! My name sign is like the word "lost" but with only one hand. I had another one growing up (Deaf by the way), but I was never particularly happy with it and it was given to me by a hearing person. So when I went into university (go RIT Tigers!), I told people I didn't have one and to spell it instead until I got a new sign. I ended up not getting one until over four years later, when I went to Europe to study at Frontrunners. People there got tired of spelling it, Europeans generally don't like spelling too much, so I got that name sign. It's because of my first day in Europe, the airport lost my bag. And I have a tendency to leave things around and forget where I put them.
Everyone in my family is Hearing or HoH, and we don't know anyone who is Deaf. However, my two-year-old son has a trach and paralyzed vocal chords which will likely prevent him from ever speaking, so we're all attempting to learn ASL in order to allow him to communicate. The most frustrating part of the whole process hasn't been the actual act of learning a new language, but rather the exclusionary attitude of people who seem like they would otherwise be a tremendous resource. Again and again, we've run across the strongly held belief that ASL is exclusively for the Deaf. "Don't learn ASL if you don't communicate with the Deaf community." "Only a Deaf person can give a name sign," and plenty of other "rules" have made it very hard to navigate the world of ASL. Offending someone is the last thing I want to do, but seeing my son excluded because he's "only" HoH and nonverbal hurts just as much as I imagine exclusion for being Deaf does. Some say "oh, he has a disability so of course he doesn't count," but to me that's like cracking a black joke and then turning to the biracial friend beside you and saying "Oh, but of course you don't count." I understand the concept of Hearing privilege and try very hard to be sensitive to it, but I don't understand how it applies to the use of ASL. Could someone explain why ASL should be treated as different from any other language? For instance, I took French in high school just because I thought it would be fun - not because I ever thought I'd have the money to travel to a country which speaks French - and no one batted an eyelash. What makes ASL different? If the argument is that some Deaf people use ASL as their only form of communication, I would say that MOST people use only one language to communicate, but that doesn't seem to make it wrong for others to learn or use that language in addition to their native one. When it comes to spoken languages, "the more the better" seems to be the prevailing attitude in all cultures, and to me it *looks* like saying that only the Deaf should use ASL actually suggests that ASL is somehow inferior or not a rich, storied, and worthwhile language in its own right. I'm not trying to rant; I really do want to understand. Where do families like ours fit, and how are we supposed to open up the world of communication for our son when we aren't "supposed to" do things like give him a sign for his name?
+Brittany Moyers I'm sorry your family and you are having hard time. I'm not proud of some Deaf "elitists" within the community who believed that only strong Deaf identified people may use ASL. I'm certainly not one of them. To answer your question about name sign- generally a Deaf person is better for giving name sign to ensure it follows the guideline already established within the community and no conflict with other local Deaf people's name signs(ie. same name sign movement). Maybe you could learn more about the name sign guideline before giving each other name signs? Now for your ASL question- the biggest reason why the Deaf community is so guarded of ASL is because they have been oppressed and have their language taken away in past. Some still experience that nowadays, sadly. Deaf people is an oppressed group, so that is different from French people, who aren't oppressed. Most would love for more people outside the community to learn sign language as long as they make the effort to interact with Deaf people and communicate with them, instead of learning the language for themselves. I know it ca be difficult to learn the new rules of Deaf community. Remember that Deaf culture is different from American culture that we grow up with here in US. Some cultural norms can be contradictory. Be patient and don't let some Deaf people scare you away from the community. You all are part of the community no matter what anyone else tell you! Welcome, and please feel free to message me either through here or on ASL Stew Facebook if you got any more questions or concerns.
Idk how I found this comment and I realize it’s been 4 years buutttt I’m gonna say this anyway: It isn’t that you’re “not supposed to do things like that,” it’s assuming you’d just have everything handed to you from the deaf/HoH community without even working for it or offering something in return for the emotional and physical labor involved in teaching? Or, wait, did you say you were HoH and if you are HoH no one would ever treat you like that in the community... Soo, what’s happening here is you’re demonizing the very people that you expected to just welcome you with open arms, give you free lessons and tell you that you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to the deaf community? And all this after, I’m assuming, some sort of tokenizing of your “HoH family” (which probably means your grandparents maybe who can’t hear cuz they’re old obvi or you have an Aunt who has Ménière’s right) and they didn’t appreciate that huh? I’m starting to see why you’d be turned away and I wouldn’t teach you either! LOL You should’ve gone to the resources available for HEARING people wanting to learn ASL, like the library, community college or community center, they’re specific destinations that are not encroaching on the VERY SMALL SPACES that already exist for the deaf and HoH community. You know like the one(s?) you invade (d?) that are SAFE SPACES FOR DEAF AND HOH PEOPLE not for you to just waltz into! Also, before I end this, it’s vital to point out that ASL isn’t “JUST a language, like any other language someone may want to learn, like French where no one batted an eyelash when I took it in high school” (even paraphrasing your Karen ass garbage makes me sick) ASL isn’t JUST a language! ASL is a part of a marginalized culture and community and I would hope in 4 years you have seen why you coming in with all of this hearing privilege demanding to just learn asl would have come off as offensive and why this whole comment was just gross! 🤮
@@angelzfire312 You seem like a really mean and hateful person. It honestly just sounds like this parent was just trying to adapt to her son's disability. Sure maybe they were looking in the wrong place to get resources but does that really warrant aggression, how were they supposed to know either way? In my experience as a queer person, gate keeping in my own community is always unhelpful to everyone involved. I think Deaf people have a right to their culture and the respect for it, but it makes me really sad to see the aggressive way some people push back against people who aren't "Deaf" enough. You should never have to be "____" enough. You shouldn't have to prove anything. Privilege exists and I don't think this person is unaware of that fact. I don't think them getting a cut of the pie takes much away from the whole. Why would a spectrum of being, sexuality, gender, disability, anything, why would a spectrum of being include exclusivity of resources based on where you fall on that spectrum. I'm a small guy, I don't eat a lot, I don't even need to eat a lot compared to other bigger guys. That doesn't mean I don't get to eat at all, that'd be pretty stupid. People in marginalized groups feel really threatened by people who don't have the same bad experience as them. They feel like if things are even a little easier for someone else than they don't get to be in the club. I see this all the time in the queer community and it's disgusting. It really sucks that people with such a similar experience feel the need to hatefully gate-keep people and actively attempt to exclude them.
@@angelzfire312 yeah your the one acting like a Karen, not her. She’s even come here trying to understand. She never in her comment said she went to deaf people to ask to be taught sign language. Honestly a lot of parents who have hard of hearing/deaf family members don’t even bother to learn sign! It’s wonderful that she’s learning sign to be able to communicate with her disabled son and family. You could have explained things more nicely instead of making pretty terrible assumptions about OP. I think hearing people learning sign is an amazing thing because it means the world will be more inclusive. Like I’ve known hearing waitresses who were conversational is sign language and were able to serve deaf customers in sign.
I have a question: Is it rude to assign yourself a sign name if your hearing. I don’t want to upset the deaf community because I understand the importance of your community. My name is Maggie and I know it’s short but I would love to do something like an M circling my chest representing love or just moving back and forth around my face. I currently do not have any deaf friend but I am moving into that community next school year as there are some deaf kids coming to join our school! I hope I didn’t disrespect anyone, but I would love to have one. Ty 💙
To answer your question, that kind of name is arbitrary. I just got my sign name last year. So my name is Desiree, hungry that becomes an e. I like it, kind of describes my personality as well.
So.. I have a question: I've been dating this girl for some time now, she's a hearing person, but she can't talk since she was little so she's fluent in sign language. I'm just starting to learn it, I'm not the best at it but I mostly undestand what she tells me. She kinda gave me this name sign that she uses to talk about me, but would the deaf community be offended if I use it, since it was not given to me by a deaf person?
[Jenna] Great question. I think it's okay to have that as your informal name sign for now to make it easier for the girl you're dating to talk about you instead of fingerspelling your name. If you happen to meet Deaf people and interact with them, then maybe ask about your name sign.
ASL Stew I have a question can the person be HOH? Also can they give a sign name while Deaf then years after get a hearing aid/implant then would you still keep your sign name?
Haha my sign name was given to me in eighth grade by an old friend who I hung out with during school, who had special needs, and who was also Deaf. She loves cows, always carrying a stuffed one with her lol, she started calling me COW with D and the interpreter (who was so amazing with the students) told me it's the name sign she gave me. At that time, I really hadn't been immersed into ASL or the Deaf community so I didn't understand the importance of name signs, but I recognize the one she gave me as mine, and It reminds me of her when I or any of my friends sign it. I'm really loving yalls channel, I love learning more about Deaf Perspective and the Deaf world and also practicing my Conceptual Skills with yalls signing videos! Thanks!
I love my sign name! It is "A" by my eye. My Deaf friend told me it means "Deaf Eyes" because I am so involved with the Deaf community and love sign. :)
NO WAY, THAT'S MY NAME SIGN TOO! Though it has a different backstory XD my older(est) brother has an 'EYE' sound in his name so my parents' deaf friends gave him the name sign of a 'K'(the first letter of his name) by the eye, and then for my siblings and me, we all got the first letter of our names by the eye as well :3
Thanks for this description. Have you seen a book called Name Signs by Samuel Supalla? This is a great explanation of the "old school" ways of creating name signs - either arbitrary or descriptive. My name sign is from France where most of the name signs are descriptive.
Hi! I was given a name sign by a Deaf acquaintance, but I'm only a beginner in signing. I don't often introduce myself with it because it feels like I haven't.... earned it? I love my name sign, very much, but I'm not sure if it's appropriate for me to use it, yet. Am I making up this rule for myself? Is it okay for me to openly use and embrace my name sign instead of finger spelling everytime, even though I'm still learning ASL? (My name sign is the sign for "R" in a swirl-motion from the top of my head to my shoulder, because of my curly hair.
Hi Jenna, I have a question for you!! Two years ago I was given my name sign by my deaf supervisors at the Canadian Hearing Society, where I did a co op placement. I've been using it ever since and thats how the deaf community in my city knows me. BUT next year I am moving to Ottawa (7 hours away from where I live now) and I wasn't sure if it's ok to introduce myself as the name sign that I was given or if I should sort of start over and allow that deaf community to give me a new one (or not if they don't feel the need). What do you think? I'd love to hear from you.
Hey I'm hearing and in asl classes and use asl because I go nonverbal sometimes. It can be exhausting to fingerspell names of people I talk about a lot over and over again. Would it be appropriate for me to give them a sort of temporary name sign? I'm thinking like a sign that only I used and my friends didn't introduce themselves with or call their name sign or anything. Or should I just try abbreviating names and continue fingerspelling?
+Lily Huston Yes, continue to use abbreviation or fingerspelling, because name signs is precious in Deaf culture. It's important for Deaf people to maintain control over giving name signs. If a Deaf person is involved in the conversation then you can ask them about a temporary name sign or something similar.
Hey, I have a question that has been bothering me for a while: so, can an hard of hearing asl user give a name sign? Because I think that's not "strictly" deaf so I don't really know if that's okay or not.
I love this video :) My old best friend's parents are deaf, and when I was her bff her mom gave me my name sign as the letter A and the sign for beautiful, because she said I was beautiful :)
Thank you! I am HH and learning sign, and want to give my family their name signs but I'm not sure how to go about it yet! I'll have to learn more ASL first though! Thank you for this channel, I'm learning a lot and its really helping me!
[Jenna] I'm glad you are learning! You can keep your family members' personality or physical characteristics in mind when you think about their name sign. Take your time. There is no rush. :)
I've been trying to learn more and more asl and some peers were discussing name signs and i'm hearing person, so I was really curious about this. This video was great to watch thank you for uploading. Definitely subscribing.
Don't forget, we often assign name signs to our pets! We have Greydon - the sign for "grey" and for Felix - the sign for cat with emphasis on the "F" letter shape (when we're not signing "hurricane" because she is one!)
I got my name sign last year after I got known to this one deaf girl, who is now one of my best friends also. So my name is Jyri, but it does not show in my name sign at at all. You take a ''rock n' roll'' hand shape and swipe it from right to left in front of the forehead. Reason why it's like that, is because of my bangs and the hometown I'm from :)
Thanks, Jenna! You've been a great help. Can you recommend any good UA-cam videos that would at least start me on the path to learning sign language? If you can this would also be a great help. They have a deaf studies major at my college. And I have been trying to get a hold of some of my friends who are majoring in this. Hopefully one day I will be able to communicate better in Sign than I ever will in spoken English. Just So that you know, I'm a fully hearing person. Is this still an appropriate reason to learn sign? Hopefully, this was easy to understand. If it's not, please let me know. There is a problem with my punctuation, to say the least, the majority of the time. PS I also use a cart provider as I am dyslexic and it's hard for me to take notes when the professor is speaking. My cart vendors have all been fantastic. Additionally, I have a UA-cam Channel, And the channels fully captioned. Check it out if you like. It's called theater town. To find it, just type in Cole Massie and UA-cam. Once again thanks for all your help! The next question either of you can answer, but what's the schooling like for an IOD? I get the impression that it's a relatively long educational process am I wrong? To conclude, thank you for bringing awareness to not just those who are deaf but people with disabilities in general.
[Jenna] Check out Bill Vicars and CHS ASL channels on here. I'm sure there are more, but those are the most popular ones and I know they are good too. It is fine for you to learn sign language so you can communicate better. Be sure to learn about Deaf culture too and interact with the Deaf community too!
+J. Stew do you have a Siamese cat? I have 2 Siamese cats. Can you tell what your sign name is for your Siamese cat? I'm just curious of what the sign name is, or means, because my 2 Siamese cats are crazy! Thanks!
We have two Siamese mix- Claire and Leon. We sign Leon like lion with "L" and Claire with C on side of chin. Virtual cookie for anyone who gets the reference to their names!
When you meet someone for the first time and you have a name sign, do you spell out your name then tell them your name sign or just use your name sign (assuming they dont know your name beforehand)?
Hi Jill and Jenna! I have a quick (that's a lie, it's pretty lengthy 🤣) question about name signs. I grew up with a mother who's an interpreter, a hard of hearing dad, and a Deaf aunt. I've been raised in both hearing and deaf culture* and am strong in using sign language. For the past couple years, I've started having some hearing losses (I'm in my teens btw) so I am hard of hearing. I've always been on the fence about which community I'm a part of. I have had Deaf people tell me that they think I could qualify as deaf as well, but I'm never really sure. I can still hear, I primarily speak English (Though I use ASL very very often) and I'm mainly around hearing people. I have one friend who has worked (and continues to work) hard to learn ASL and Deaf culture, and always signs with me and is always trying to expand her knowledge of ASL. In my mind, she's the only person who is deserving enough of a name sign, and I think she's earned it. I would love more than anything to give her one, but I don't know if I'm Deaf enough to give her one. And I know a HUGE part of being Deaf is being immersed in and a part of the Deaf culture, and less about actual hearing loss (though that is a huge factor). I want to give her a name sign so bad. But, am I qualified? I don't know, but I would love to hear what you guys think :,) * I grew up attending an ASL ward of my religion and continue to attend that Dead ward, so I have been heavily influenced and have been around and a part of Deaf culture my entire life.
My name sign changed twice because my deaf friends got to know me better after many years haha It went from the letter M across my cheek showing that I smile a lot...but now it's the using the letter M for the sign "stubborn" lol
i heard somewhere that the rule for name signs (that a Deaf person has to give them) also applies to characters. is this true? i am hearing and i don't know any d/Deaf/HoH people in my community, but one of the characters in a few stories i've written is Deaf and exclusively uses sign. is it wrong/offensive of me to give the other characters in these stories name signs for the Deaf character to use, or should i consult a Deaf person to give them instead? just wondering! i love your videos :)
+hpispwn98 That's an interesting question. It's good that you are being true to Deaf culture with your Deaf character. I think it's ok for you to come up with name signs for the characters, but it wouldn't hurt to consult with a Deaf person for ideas or making sure the signs are realistic.
Nice video :). Someone in my family (who I never see anymore) gave me a name sign when we where kids. Unfortunately I forgot what it was. I only remember it was a movement near the lips because it stood out to him.
We aren’t deaf but my son can’t talk. So we are learning sign language so we can communicate with him. We all have long names. So how can we all get name signs? I’m asking so it can be easier for him since he’s only 3.
Someone else told a similar story in the comments as well. I don't know anything about this but it seems like it's something that wouldn't be all that uncommon in the grand scheme of things. I think it's a really important but under looked aspect of the subject and I wish it were being talked about more. Perhaps if you're learning asl from a teacher they could connect you with someone that could help you. I suppose your kid is already six by now but I guess I'm just giving ideas to other people who may be reading this.
Hi Jenna, I enjoyed this video. I received my sign name two years ago when I started attending ASL community classes. My name sign is M with a smile because I always seem to have a smile on my face :)
Problem: I live in Israel, so I don’t have ASL signers to give me a name sign... I once saw an Israeli Sign Language interpreter talk about how name signs can be problematic for him, because they can emphasise features that should not be mentioned in polite society, e.g. former PM Ariel Sharon had a name sign indicating his prominent belly, and his successor Ehud Olmert had one based on his ugly comb-over. He resorted to fingerspelling their names. I actually chose a sign for myself in ISL, using the sign for ‘blue’, which is V handshape, palm forward fingers up, making a circular motion at about shoulder height, but near my eyes (because my eyes are blue and everyone comments on that), with the fingers closing in to make an ASL N handshape (because my name is Neel, and the equivalent Hebrew letter, נ nun, is formed the same way). I chose it after seeing my beginner ISL teacher showing her sign name was a fingerspelt ש (shin, making a sh-sound, same as fingerspelt W in ASL), because her name was Shelly, from the side of her mouth downwards, where she has a scar. She made a quick remark once about how we’d think up a name sign in a future lesson (we never did) so I ran with it, figuring I’d rather not wind up with a really offensive name. My intermediate teacher has a sign consisting of two flat hands facing downwards fingers forward at chest height switching positions; it was based on the one time he accidentally wore his left shoe on his right foot and vice versa back when he was a kid. When I mentioned how names seemed to be really offensive, he explained, ‘To you it looks offensive; to us it’s special.’
[Jenna] Yeah it's definitely a cultural difference between Deaf culture and hearing in general. We tend to don't mind using physical characteristics to create name signs, while hearing people tend to be sensitive about that. To Deaf people, its not a bad thing just what make each person unique.
hi Jill and Jenna, I want to get involved more in the deaf culture because I think the language is extremely expressive and I want to learn more about the apparently fantastic culture that is behind the language. Also, recently it has become apparent to me that I have some sort of communication disorder and I was told that in American sign language there are different ways of expressing yourself that mean different things and are more clear and spoken English. I used to know a few basic things in AFL when I was young but I have forgotten them all now. Additionally, learning sign language is probably going to be difficult as I have fine motor difficulties. Is there any way that I can slightly modify what I'm doing to accommodate my fine motor difficulties without offending the culture or the language? All the best! Cole and Ilia PS I hope the message was clear if it's not please tell me.
Hello, I am a Kindergarten teacher and my hearing students are interested in getting name signs, I heard in the video that it is proper etiquette for a deaf person to give a name sign. How would I go about finding someone who would be able to do this?
My name is quite long plus it has some the letter that I find the harder to do in lsf (french sign language) so I'm glad I've been given a sign name now x) it's the sign for bird/chick on side of the face because I'm always wearing yellow and I'm small and I met the deaf person that gave it to me on a show about a little bird. It's so cute I love it !
as a hearing interpreter (through an ITP), I was taught they were called Arbitrary (Combined) sign names and Descriptive (the 2nd one you described) sign names =)
Since everyone's talking about their names... Mine's pretty short (Nana), and in JSL the sign for "na", and name "nana", is just an upside-down ASL "u" (back hand facing out), and you just drag it a little ways for "nana". But my sign name is pretty much the "u" sign in ASL mixed with the sign for curly hair (since my hair is curly, and the two fingers is the "nana" sign, haha).
How does that sort of thing come up in a conversation? I'm hearing but i'm learning ASL because I want to be a doctor that can work with the deaf and the blind in the future. My name is Katie is that short or would I most likely be given a name sign?
[Jenna] Usually you can bring up not having a name sign after you get to know a Deaf person a little bit. They need to know your personality before giving you a name sign that will fit you well.
Thank you for this information. I was just thinking about this the other day. I had a friend in middle/high school who is Deaf and it seemed like her interpreter used lots of name signs, including (if i recall correctly) having one single one for all Andrews. Though I could be remembering wrong and maybe that was my own name sign; I can’t remember well enough to be sure. I was thinking about this the other day so I decided to do some research, leading me to this video.
I'm one hundred percent deaf in my left ear but am hearing in my right ear. I'm considered HOH by the doctors and I consider myself HoH. I'm not fluent in asl and it's not my first language but I tend to consider it my first language (or it's at least the language I revert to when I don't have the spoken words for something or am stressed) I know several deaf people and have been to deaf coffee chats and events in the past while I was taking official classes but I don't anymore because I don't have the option to. Even though I'm mostly culturally hearing (I'd guess anyway) for conversations with my friends who are very interested in learning asl, a few of them take classes in school but aren't taught the culture so I try to help them out, would it be alright if I gave them a name sign for the sake of signing with them and communicating?
+Elliot McK. You can consider ASL as your primary language like I do (I learned English first like you). HOH people can give name signs, so I would say yes you can.
My ASL professor has given me the nickname HAMMER (like just the sign for hammer) because my last name is Hammer. I don't think this counts as a name sign, but I wouldn't want it if it did because I don't like my father and hate sharing his name...
My name is Tiffany and a girl at my church (I was going to a church for the deaf that was also a college. It was really cool as there was an interpreter for the hearing XD ) gave me my sign name and it's the sign for "T" spiraling down the side of the head and just passed the shoulder - my hair was pretty long and wavy when she gave me my name. It just came out of nowhere too as the friend who I worked with who had first invited me to the church (she's a CODA) told me that the other girl had named me. I'm really shy so I hadn't talked to her much but she was always really nice. Everyone was really nice and patient with me. There was a lady who taught sign language before church every Wednesday but I moved so I don't get to go anymore. I have only signed in conversation once in 3 years and that was at my work... :/ I've forgotten a lot...
+Lunacqua Great name sign! That can happen when you don't use signs often and forget some. You can check out ASL Practice Pals on Facebook to meet people and practice using sign language.
I have been given 2 sign names. One is from my deaf friend who was helping me learn ASL. D excited. Then a customer gave me the name Dolphin as i was named after Destin beach,FL
I’ve just been reading up on this as BSL has this too (I’m British and hearing but may have Auditory processing disorder, on top of other wonky brain issues but still awaiting)… Are you basically telling me that you pick CODENAMES LIKE YOU’RE SUPERHEROES? WHERE DO I SIGN (up)?
Hello! I'm currently learning ASL and I think name signs are really cool. I'm not deaf, I don't have any deaf friends and I'm a little too young to go out and meet people in the deaf community. I'd really like a name sign but I don't want to be disrespectful in anyway by giving myself one. Any tips? Thanks : )
So I just discovered your channel because i was curious about the "naming system" 😅 So my name is Rachel and in the town( hospital) i was born in, the people are called sheepheads ( schapenkoppen) To thanks to your explanation Mine would be the R and the sign sheep. Thanks for explaning!
Ok so I was kind of in a sign language hyperfixation and have been reearching like crazy. Now my question is this: I am not deaf, I don't actually know any deaf person, and I have a friend, they have several names which I switch between a lot, and are pretty long for most of them. Does anyone have an ideo of how I could make it easier to sign when refering to them without giving them a sign name since it would be disrespectful of the deaf community.
Screw this "disrespectful" nonsense. You make a name sign to use with your friend, if someone is offended by you making your conversation with them easier, that's their problem.
Is it okay to ask for a name sign or should you wait for someone to give it to you? I don't want to force myself into a culture if I'm not yet accepted, but I'm really excited to possibly have a name sign.
Usually you should wait for a Deaf person to get to know you before they give you a name sign to fit your personality. That take time, so be patient. :)
Hi Gina I have a meme sign. It’s the letter Y to your either left or right shoulder depends on which kind you are. So if you’re left-handed like me it’ll be the letter I going to your right shoulder. That is my name sign. And you spell my name Ineko
My best friend is deaf and we have been best friends for 15 years (we are both 18, she is the girl with black hair in my pp) and even though my name is long I do not have an official name sign we just have gotten so used to the way each other signs that other people who know sign and could see us might not understand it because we have made the language so our own. I find everyone has their own spin on the language. It can make it hard to work in that field but honestly I love ASL and signing more than I love speaking English. I may not be a perfect signer but I owe Tay everything for getting me into it and showing me my future career path.
+Annalee C Yes, I've noticed with my group of friends that we come up with certain signs for our conversations only. Almost like inside joke or slang. Home signs is also common within hearing-deaf relationships(friends, family, etc).
+Damien Stevens Name signs are very important part of Deaf culture plus Deaf community have guidelines and they know who have certain name signs to avoid conflicts or duplicates. Hearing people giving each other name signs is considered cultural appropriation.
what if you don't know anyone that is deaf? I am wanting to teach my son sign language to broaden his communication skills and learn myself. but I want a name sign for Travis but he is only 4 months old currently also. thank you for your help
If I understand correctly, a name sign is the sign people use to reference a person who is not right there. To your hearing friends, you can just say his name, right?? To their face I might call my baby “cutie” or “snookums” or “dude”, but I would use their given name if I was talking _about_ them.
I was interested to see that my favorite UA-camrs have a vegan channel! I will definitely check it out, but first, could you please help me? Could you describe how to sign "vegan" in ASL? I can't find anything in my books!
a long time ago about maybe 2-4 years ago I went a Deaf a event and met this girl. I saw her at another Deaf event and she fingerspelled my name then she signed a B Hand at the side if her head. I thought because my name is Ben and my hair is a crucut that this was my name sign. Could I be wrong. If so I introduce myself with the name sign all the time so if I am wrong should I still use it??
My name is Laura sign name laugh with L. And I am deaf blind. But my boyfriend name is Thomas and he is such a goofball or silly very funny but I’m finding it hard to think of sign name for him. Any ideas? It would be easier to give him a sign name because I use his name a lot when we talk and spelling Thomas all the time is more frustrating than the language barrier. Any help would be great.
This seems like a dumb question, but I know that only deaf people can assign a name sign to people, but do dead people ever give name signs to other deaf people? Or do you chose your own? Sorry if that is common knowledge I'm just curious I guess:)
J.stew what if you don't have any one that is deaf but my friends and I sign daily at school could we give each other names ......plus my friends mom said deaf and she has been signing since she was 3
+Antonia A.G There are no exceptions for hearing people to give each other name signs. That's a big no-no. If your friend's mom is deaf then she can give you a name sign.
+Olivia Hodgson I wouldn't recommend that in general because of cultural background. Name signs are big part of Deaf culture so it's better for members of the Deaf community to be the one to give out name signs. There are exceptions of course, but generally a Deaf person should be the one to do so.
Mine is cool (open hand with thumb pointing to the middle of your chest) but with a G because my ASL teacher thought I was cool! Question, do Deaf people ever get offended when hearing people have name signs? Mine was given to me by my Deaf ASL professor after knowing me for a semester and I have heard mixed reviews about professors assigning name signs.
I have two questions. Would/could a deaf person give themselves a name sign or would they need another deaf person to give it to them? And, how would a deaf person born to hearing parents get their name sign?
[Jenna] It's better for other Deaf people to give a Deaf person sign name because they can see how that person's personality/characteristics look like to other people. Deaf people born to hearing parents can get a name sign when they get involved in a Deaf community.
I know most Deaf children have Deaf parents but when that's not the case, who gives them the sign? Is there an existing sign for the name Lee? I'm just curious, I don't have kids.
[Jenna] Actually more than 90% of Deaf children don't have Deaf parents. They often get name signs from their Deaf peers or Deaf role models in their local communities.
I’ve recently discovered an interest in asl. I know how to spell my name but I don’t know anyone who is deaf that could give me a name sign, what should I do?
[Jenna] Try meet Deaf people through local events or online. You could search and see if there are any ASL events in your area, or ASL groups to join on Facebook.
My name sign is "sweet" with a C handshape 😊 I am hearing but a deaf friend of mine gave me a name sign. It actually made me feel honored to receive a name sign!
[Jenna] It's better to meet a Deaf person and let they get to know your personality to give you a name sign that match you well. Take your time and socialize w/ local Deaf community or online.
A question for you - how important is sport to the Deaf community in the US? In Australia, it's pretty important, for a lot of people it serves as their introduction to the Deaf community, and provides a reason to get together. (I'm just thinking about this because the 17th Australian Deaf Games are about to draw to a close, and it's the biggest gathering of Deaf and HoH people in Australia).
+David Willanski I would say it's pretty important here for similar reasons as yours. One great example is annual Gallaudet vs. RIT/NTID competition in April. Both take turns each year to host the competition on a weekend and compete through sports and activities.
+David Willanski I was in Oz for the Deaf Games (and still am for a couple weeks). Like Jenna said, the RIT/Gallaudet competition is a pretty big thing, but I would not say the importance of sport in general is at the same level as Oz. We don't have any national competitions except for Deaf schools and that ends once you graduate high school.
I'm hearing my special needs son is hard of hearing and non verbal how do I call him in sign. We communicate with him in sign but it's hard to fingerspell ricky everytime
I got my name sign from my friend in first grade. He was deaf. My first signs were my name sign and the signs for 'play' and 'me'. All a little one needs to know! My name starts at the side of my head with my hand in the 'C' shape and spirals down. I had long curly hair!
what if you dont like your name sign or get offended by the characteristic they chose etc? are we ever consulted by the deaf person about it or do we just... get stuck with it
because im taking asl and i hoped my name sign could by like... S and A initials making a heart shape or something representative... but what if someone gives me a name sign like... "short" or "late" etc?
[Jenna] You can say you don't like the name sign if it's offensive for whatever reason and I'm sure that Deaf person can come up with a name sign that better fit you.
Can a hard of hearing person give a name sign I was taught by my ASL instructor who works for Sorenson relay I was taught by my ASL instructor who works for Sorenson video relay and has worked in my school district as an interpreter since 1990 that it was OK.
+141zuco Yes, hard of hearing people can. Usually, it's better for them to be fluent in ASL and involved in Deaf community before they do that as they will be more comfortable and aware of guidelines for name signs.
Are Mute and Non-verbal autistic people allowed to give name signs? i am Autistic and often go nonverbal so my therapist suggested i learn sign language to help with that, but i do not want to appropriate deaf culture
No, only Deaf/HOH can give name signs since that is part of Deaf culture. Learning sign language would be great for you as it makes it easier for you to communicate while nonverbal. You could see if there are any local Deaf community to get involved and eventually one of the Deaf people could give you a name sign. :)
My name sign is just the letter j and p in sign language since my name is Jennifer Perez, I have friends that are deaf and hard of hearing, so I was given it by them
I love when hearing people say they think it is stupid that only Deaf people can give you a name sign. If it is their language, their culture, their world, then of course they should be able to be the one to give you one. And if you were to actually want a name sign then that would mean you are learning sign language... if you are learning sign language it is obviously to be involved with the Deaf community and then someone will be happy to give you a name sign when the time is right. If you want to learn sign language and be part of that culture, then you have to respect and follow their traditions and rules such as with name signs. Also, can animals have name signs? And you should make a video (if you haven't already) about little d deaf and big D Deaf, I'm sure it would clear up a lot of the confusion on whether or not old people who lost their hearing could give name signs and such. There is a huge difference between deaf and Deaf. That was the first thing learned in my ASL 1 class. My teacher has been an interpreter for 20+ years all over the country so she really empathsizes the culture. I love going to Deaf sociales and plan on becoming an interpreter.
+chemha55 Glad you found the video. :) You are right about the significance of cultural background for giving out name signs. Animals can have name signs! Our cats have their own name signs. :)
So in Austria we only use deskriptive name signs, mine is Africa, because I lived in Lesotho for a while and my first contact with deaf culture was there. I find it interesting that you say a deaf person has to give you your name, because the people I know say it is extremly annoying that people who start out with learning ASL come up to them and ask them, a friend told me since a name is deeply personal she doesn't like assigning them to other people. But to be clear that is just a the deaf people I know, and it is surely not an universally held opinion. On the other hand I also have the impression that when it comes to name signs it's more of a discussion and adopting them is up to the person that should be described by it. In Austria fingerspelling is very rarely used in general, so here that's not really an option for your sign name, only for spelling out your name.
+nowisgood4me Tha's definitely interesting how different Deaf culture can be in another countries. Thank you for the comparison. I agree that it's usually better to get to know a person before giving a sign name that would best suit them.
My old best friend’s mum (who is deaf) used my (dead)name’s first letter then the sign eyes because she thought I had really pretty eyes (I don’t really see anything special in them, they’re just plain brown lol) then when I came out as trans she immediately respected me and my name change and started using my new name’s first letter which is M (I only go by my first name when I’m in Turkey so when I’m in England people usually use my second name which is Magnus)
I got my name sign when I was 4 or 5, and I'm not positive if my cousin & her family are still using it, but I secretly hope they are. I was very obsessed with cats at that age, and my parents called me nina-cat as a nickname, so she substituted an n handshape into the sign for cat. So my name sign is an n moving horizontally away from your cheek
my name is Josh, but my deaf friend, after having to spell it out so often in conversation between her and her boyfriend, have named me JJ. so really just a jiggle of the hand and it's much easier for them to reference me (I mean, they do kinda talk about me a lot more since the moved in next door and we hang out a lot!) my gf has also been given a name, a "K" near the eye because of her awesome eyeliner!
I just saw that you responded to this (So excited that you did, btw, big fan of ASL Stew) and I did have a question for you that may have been answered in a previous video (if it has just let me know and I'll go watch it) My deaf friend knows SEE and that's what I'm learning as a result. She even gifted me a copy of her SEE Dictionary for my bday! It means so much to be able to work on my communication skills with her. My question is basically, do you think it would be easier to learn ASL alongside SEE, or should I wait until I have a better understanding of SEE before jumping into ASL? I ask because even though SEE is easier for me to comprehend, I want to eventually be able to communicate with ASL. Which of course this begs a second question, if I go to deaf events in order to learn more, will I be able to get by with knowing SEE for now or will I be shunned for not knowing ASL? (sorry for the book!)
We always try our best to respond to as many comments as we could! Learning SEE and ASL will be like learning two languages. It really depends on if you feel comfortable with learning two separate languages at same time or become fluent in one before starting another one. As for the deaf events question, you should be ok and deaf people in general will be understanding and patient with communicating with you. Some may give you feedback and correct your signing. Some may be more direct/blunt and that is part of Deaf culture so don't be offended if that happens. Don't worry, it will be a great learning experience for you and you will learn faster by socializing with Deaf people at the events!
mine is a kind of mash of the two! my nickname is Peach, so my name sign combines the letter M and the sign for Peach. so i guess thats more like the first one haha. my ASL teacher is called Jessica and her name sign is J + "Crazy" lol :'D
How do people who started out hearing, and then went deaf, learned sign language, and identify as deaf, but don't know any other deaf people get a name sign? Do they just not get a name sign or what? I really don' understand?
In my asl class, we just learned about name signs today. She told us that we were allowed to give each other/ourselves a name sign, but we are only allowed to use them in class. We are NOT allowed to use them outside of class, because they are not real, proper name signs.
its funny how u mentioned "old school" way of giving a name sign, as I have seen, both ways in my experience, as I have a short name, I really wasnt, given one, but, a church friend, she's deaf, of coarse, did come up with one, would have to show u visually, tho.
I started watching Switched at Birth about 6 months ago and I kinda picked up a few signs and then I asked my dad is sign language counted as a second language and he said yes. so I've been really interested ever since. 😊👌
My name sign is "beautiful" signed with an s handshape. I felt so honoured when I got it from a friend in the deaf community (she is deaf). It was cool to see the process of her and a few others trying to come up with a name sign for me that was unique and different from others.
Love the video!! As far as the names are concerned:
Name signs that use the first letter of the person's name to describe a person's family or lineage is called an "arbitrary name sign". Name signs that describe a person's physical characteristics without using a handshape are called " descriptive name signs". And name signs that are both describe a physical characteristic with a handshape are called "nontraditional, or combined, name signs" :)
+Antonio Heckstall thanks for the extra information!
+Antonio Heckstall This is what I learned in ASL 2. I also learned that you don't assign yourself a name sign, as Jenna points out in the video. Good video, Jenna! Thanks for sharing your perspective!
I'm hearing and my name is only four letters, so I usually don't use my name sign. but I do have one, given to me by a Deaf friend who has since passed away, so I do use it on certain occasions in memory of her.
[Jenna] using your name sign is a good way to honor your friend.
earlier this week I received my name sign from my individual I support. his mom ask who I was and he made an m sign and tapped his heart twice. I feel so lucky and blessed to receive this name sign.
+Michael Dickman That's awesome! :) Very nice name sign.
Mine is "L" with the sign for laughing/smiling :) I was so happy when I got my name sign from my friend about 3 years ago!
[Jenna] That's great!
I recently discovered your channel, and I look forward to seeing more videos!
My name sign is like the word "lost" but with only one hand. I had another one growing up (Deaf by the way), but I was never particularly happy with it and it was given to me by a hearing person. So when I went into university (go RIT Tigers!), I told people I didn't have one and to spell it instead until I got a new sign. I ended up not getting one until over four years later, when I went to Europe to study at Frontrunners. People there got tired of spelling it, Europeans generally don't like spelling too much, so I got that name sign. It's because of my first day in Europe, the airport lost my bag. And I have a tendency to leave things around and forget where I put them.
+Rogan Shannon that's pretty rad name sign and nice story behind it.
+J. Stew Thanks!
Everyone in my family is Hearing or HoH, and we don't know anyone who is Deaf. However, my two-year-old son has a trach and paralyzed vocal chords which will likely prevent him from ever speaking, so we're all attempting to learn ASL in order to allow him to communicate.
The most frustrating part of the whole process hasn't been the actual act of learning a new language, but rather the exclusionary attitude of people who seem like they would otherwise be a tremendous resource. Again and again, we've run across the strongly held belief that ASL is exclusively for the Deaf. "Don't learn ASL if you don't communicate with the Deaf community." "Only a Deaf person can give a name sign," and plenty of other "rules" have made it very hard to navigate the world of ASL.
Offending someone is the last thing I want to do, but seeing my son excluded because he's "only" HoH and nonverbal hurts just as much as I imagine exclusion for being Deaf does. Some say "oh, he has a disability so of course he doesn't count," but to me that's like cracking a black joke and then turning to the biracial friend beside you and saying "Oh, but of course you don't count." I understand the concept of Hearing privilege and try very hard to be sensitive to it, but I don't understand how it applies to the use of ASL.
Could someone explain why ASL should be treated as different from any other language? For instance, I took French in high school just because I thought it would be fun - not because I ever thought I'd have the money to travel to a country which speaks French - and no one batted an eyelash. What makes ASL different? If the argument is that some Deaf people use ASL as their only form of communication, I would say that MOST people use only one language to communicate, but that doesn't seem to make it wrong for others to learn or use that language in addition to their native one. When it comes to spoken languages, "the more the better" seems to be the prevailing attitude in all cultures, and to me it *looks* like saying that only the Deaf should use ASL actually suggests that ASL is somehow inferior or not a rich, storied, and worthwhile language in its own right.
I'm not trying to rant; I really do want to understand. Where do families like ours fit, and how are we supposed to open up the world of communication for our son when we aren't "supposed to" do things like give him a sign for his name?
+Brittany Moyers I'm sorry your family and you are having hard time. I'm not proud of some Deaf "elitists" within the community who believed that only strong Deaf identified people may use ASL. I'm certainly not one of them.
To answer your question about name sign- generally a Deaf person is better for giving name sign to ensure it follows the guideline already established within the community and no conflict with other local Deaf people's name signs(ie. same name sign movement). Maybe you could learn more about the name sign guideline before giving each other name signs?
Now for your ASL question- the biggest reason why the Deaf community is so guarded of ASL is because they have been oppressed and have their language taken away in past. Some still experience that nowadays, sadly. Deaf people is an oppressed group, so that is different from French people, who aren't oppressed. Most would love for more people outside the community to learn sign language as long as they make the effort to interact with Deaf people and communicate with them, instead of learning the language for themselves.
I know it ca be difficult to learn the new rules of Deaf community. Remember that Deaf culture is different from American culture that we grow up with here in US. Some cultural norms can be contradictory. Be patient and don't let some Deaf people scare you away from the community. You all are part of the community no matter what anyone else tell you! Welcome, and please feel free to message me either through here or on ASL Stew Facebook if you got any more questions or concerns.
Idk how I found this comment and I realize it’s been 4 years buutttt I’m gonna say this anyway:
It isn’t that you’re “not supposed to do things like that,” it’s assuming you’d just have everything handed to you from the deaf/HoH community without even working for it or offering something in return for the emotional and physical labor involved in teaching?
Or, wait, did you say you were HoH and if you are HoH no one would ever treat you like that in the community...
Soo, what’s happening here is you’re demonizing the very people that you expected to just welcome you with open arms, give you free lessons and tell you that you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to the deaf community? And all this after, I’m assuming, some sort of tokenizing of your “HoH family” (which probably means your grandparents maybe who can’t hear cuz they’re old obvi or you have an Aunt who has Ménière’s right) and they didn’t appreciate that huh?
I’m starting to see why you’d be turned away and I wouldn’t teach you either! LOL
You should’ve gone to the resources available for HEARING people wanting to learn ASL, like the library, community college or community center, they’re specific destinations that are not encroaching on the VERY SMALL SPACES that already exist for the deaf and HoH community.
You know like the one(s?) you invade (d?) that are SAFE SPACES FOR DEAF AND HOH PEOPLE not for you to just waltz into!
Also, before I end this, it’s vital to point out that ASL isn’t “JUST a language, like any other language someone may want to learn, like French where no one batted an eyelash when I took it in high school” (even paraphrasing your Karen ass garbage makes me sick) ASL isn’t JUST a language!
ASL is a part of a marginalized culture and community and I would hope in 4 years you have seen why you coming in with all of this hearing privilege demanding to just learn asl would have come off as offensive and why this whole comment was just gross! 🤮
@@angelzfire312 You seem like a really mean and hateful person. It honestly just sounds like this parent was just trying to adapt to her son's disability. Sure maybe they were looking in the wrong place to get resources but does that really warrant aggression, how were they supposed to know either way? In my experience as a queer person, gate keeping in my own community is always unhelpful to everyone involved. I think Deaf people have a right to their culture and the respect for it, but it makes me really sad to see the aggressive way some people push back against people who aren't "Deaf" enough. You should never have to be "____" enough. You shouldn't have to prove anything. Privilege exists and I don't think this person is unaware of that fact. I don't think them getting a cut of the pie takes much away from the whole. Why would a spectrum of being, sexuality, gender, disability, anything, why would a spectrum of being include exclusivity of resources based on where you fall on that spectrum. I'm a small guy, I don't eat a lot, I don't even need to eat a lot compared to other bigger guys. That doesn't mean I don't get to eat at all, that'd be pretty stupid. People in marginalized groups feel really threatened by people who don't have the same bad experience as them. They feel like if things are even a little easier for someone else than they don't get to be in the club. I see this all the time in the queer community and it's disgusting. It really sucks that people with such a similar experience feel the need to hatefully gate-keep people and actively attempt to exclude them.
@@angelzfire312 yeah your the one acting like a Karen, not her. She’s even come here trying to understand. She never in her comment said she went to deaf people to ask to be taught sign language. Honestly a lot of parents who have hard of hearing/deaf family members don’t even bother to learn sign! It’s wonderful that she’s learning sign to be able to communicate with her disabled son and family. You could have explained things more nicely instead of making pretty terrible assumptions about OP. I think hearing people learning sign is an amazing thing because it means the world will be more inclusive. Like I’ve known hearing waitresses who were conversational is sign language and were able to serve deaf customers in sign.
I have a question:
Is it rude to assign yourself a sign name if your hearing. I don’t want to upset the deaf community because I understand the importance of your community. My name is Maggie and I know it’s short but I would love to do something like an M circling my chest representing love or just moving back and forth around my face. I currently do not have any deaf friend but I am moving into that community next school year as there are some deaf kids coming to join our school! I hope I didn’t disrespect anyone, but I would love to have one. Ty 💙
To answer your question, that kind of name is arbitrary. I just got my sign name last year. So my name is Desiree, hungry that becomes an e. I like it, kind of describes my personality as well.
+Desiree Haislett great name sign and thanks for the answer.
Ohh - I get it! the sign “hunger” can also be translated “desire”,
Hence DESIRE->e
My name sign is cheeky with a D, because when my wife and I were first dating, she kept saying I was cheeky.
+David Willanski That's cute!
So.. I have a question:
I've been dating this girl for some time now, she's a hearing person, but she can't talk since she was little so she's fluent in sign language.
I'm just starting to learn it, I'm not the best at it but I mostly undestand what she tells me.
She kinda gave me this name sign that she uses to talk about me, but would the deaf community be offended if I use it, since it was not given to me by a deaf person?
[Jenna] Great question. I think it's okay to have that as your informal name sign for now to make it easier for the girl you're dating to talk about you instead of fingerspelling your name. If you happen to meet Deaf people and interact with them, then maybe ask about your name sign.
ASL Stew I have a question can the person be HOH? Also can they give a sign name while Deaf then years after get a hearing aid/implant then would you still keep your sign name?
Haha my sign name was given to me in eighth grade by an old friend who I hung out with during school, who had special needs, and who was also Deaf. She loves cows, always carrying a stuffed one with her lol, she started calling me COW with D and the interpreter (who was so amazing with the students) told me it's the name sign she gave me. At that time, I really hadn't been immersed into ASL or the Deaf community so I didn't understand the importance of name signs, but I recognize the one she gave me as mine, and It reminds me of her when I or any of my friends sign it. I'm really loving yalls channel, I love learning more about Deaf Perspective and the Deaf world and also practicing my Conceptual Skills with yalls signing videos! Thanks!
+Brian Schuster That's a great story behind your name sign! Thank you for watching our videos. :)
I love my sign name! It is "A" by my eye. My Deaf friend told me it means "Deaf Eyes" because I am so involved with the Deaf community and love sign. :)
+Ang D (ASlismypassion) nice! :)
NO WAY, THAT'S MY NAME SIGN TOO! Though it has a different backstory XD my older(est) brother has an 'EYE' sound in his name so my parents' deaf friends gave him the name sign of a 'K'(the first letter of his name) by the eye, and then for my siblings and me, we all got the first letter of our names by the eye as well :3
Thanks for this description. Have you seen a book called Name Signs by Samuel Supalla? This is a great explanation of the "old school" ways of creating name signs - either arbitrary or descriptive. My name sign is from France where most of the name signs are descriptive.
Hi! I was given a name sign by a Deaf acquaintance, but I'm only a beginner in signing. I don't often introduce myself with it because it feels like I haven't.... earned it? I love my name sign, very much, but I'm not sure if it's appropriate for me to use it, yet. Am I making up this rule for myself? Is it okay for me to openly use and embrace my name sign instead of finger spelling everytime, even though I'm still learning ASL? (My name sign is the sign for "R" in a swirl-motion from the top of my head to my shoulder, because of my curly hair.
Hi Jenna, I have a question for you!! Two years ago I was given my name sign by my deaf supervisors at the Canadian Hearing Society, where I did a co op placement. I've been using it ever since and thats how the deaf community in my city knows me. BUT next year I am moving to Ottawa (7 hours away from where I live now) and I wasn't sure if it's ok to introduce myself as the name sign that I was given or if I should sort of start over and allow that deaf community to give me a new one (or not if they don't feel the need). What do you think? I'd love to hear from you.
You can keep it and introduce yourself with it. They might ask you where you got it so you can explain the background behind your name sign.
My sign name is a closed fist over your head then open your fingers. I got it because my hair haha.
That's pretty cool name sign! :)
Hey I'm hearing and in asl classes and use asl because I go nonverbal sometimes. It can be exhausting to fingerspell names of people I talk about a lot over and over again. Would it be appropriate for me to give them a sort of temporary name sign? I'm thinking like a sign that only I used and my friends didn't introduce themselves with or call their name sign or anything. Or should I just try abbreviating names and continue fingerspelling?
+Lily Huston Yes, continue to use abbreviation or fingerspelling, because name signs is precious in Deaf culture. It's important for Deaf people to maintain control over giving name signs. If a Deaf person is involved in the conversation then you can ask them about a temporary name sign or something similar.
Thanks!
My friend gave me a name sign a few months ago, and it's lazy with a K and I love it because it fits my personality perfectly.
+Kristina Bartholomew haha, that's great your name signs fits you very well!
Hey, I have a question that has been bothering me for a while: so, can an hard of hearing asl user give a name sign? Because I think that's not "strictly" deaf so I don't really know if that's okay or not.
[Jenna] Yes, a hard of hearing ASL user can give a name sign.
ASL Stew thank you for your answer! I love your channel 💛
ASL Stew thanks, being a hoh asl user sometimes feels like second class. Thanks for accepting us.
I love this video :)
My old best friend's parents are deaf, and when I was her bff her mom gave me my name sign as the letter A and the sign for beautiful, because she said I was beautiful :)
+ashleighBeeBee123 Cute name sign. Glad you enjoyed the video!
Thank you! I am HH and learning sign, and want to give my family their name signs but I'm not sure how to go about it yet! I'll have to learn more ASL first though! Thank you for this channel, I'm learning a lot and its really helping me!
[Jenna] I'm glad you are learning! You can keep your family members' personality or physical characteristics in mind when you think about their name sign. Take your time. There is no rush. :)
If I got a name sign from a friend of mine that is mute could I still use it, or does it have to be from someone who is deaf/HOH?
I've been trying to learn more and more asl and some peers were discussing name signs and i'm hearing person, so I was really curious about this. This video was great to watch thank you for uploading. Definitely subscribing.
Don't forget, we often assign name signs to our pets! We have Greydon - the sign for "grey" and for Felix - the sign for cat with emphasis on the "F" letter shape (when we're not signing "hurricane" because she is one!)
I got my name sign last year after I got known to this one deaf girl, who is now one of my best friends also.
So my name is Jyri, but it does not show in my name sign at at all. You take a ''rock n' roll'' hand shape and swipe it from right to left in front of the forehead.
Reason why it's like that, is because of my bangs and the hometown I'm from :)
+Jyri Oinonen That's pretty cool name sign!
Thanks, Jenna! You've been a great help. Can you recommend any good UA-cam videos that would at least start me on the path to learning sign language? If you can this would also be a great help. They have a deaf studies major at my college. And I have been trying to get a hold of some of my friends who are majoring in this. Hopefully one day I will be able to communicate better in Sign than I ever will in spoken English. Just So that you know, I'm a fully hearing person. Is this still an appropriate reason to learn sign?
Hopefully, this was easy to understand. If it's not, please let me know. There is a problem with my punctuation, to say the least, the majority of the time. PS I also use a cart provider as I am dyslexic and it's hard for me to take notes when the professor is speaking. My cart vendors have all been fantastic. Additionally, I have a UA-cam Channel, And the channels fully captioned. Check it out if you like. It's called theater town. To find it, just type in Cole Massie and UA-cam.
Once again thanks for all your help! The next question either of you can answer, but what's the schooling like for an IOD? I get the impression that it's a relatively long educational process am I wrong? To conclude, thank you for bringing awareness to not just those who are deaf but people with disabilities in general.
[Jenna] Check out Bill Vicars and CHS ASL channels on here. I'm sure there are more, but those are the most popular ones and I know they are good too. It is fine for you to learn sign language so you can communicate better. Be sure to learn about Deaf culture too and interact with the Deaf community too!
Stupid question, but I'm clearly not afraid to ask - do your cats have name signs? I love when they're in the videos, btw.
+Allison Hart-Young Yes, they do!
+J. Stew do you have a Siamese cat? I have 2 Siamese cats. Can you tell what your sign name is for your Siamese cat? I'm just curious of what the sign name is, or means, because my 2 Siamese cats are crazy! Thanks!
We have two Siamese mix- Claire and Leon. We sign Leon like lion with "L" and Claire with C on side of chin. Virtual cookie for anyone who gets the reference to their names!
When you meet someone for the first time and you have a name sign, do you spell out your name then tell them your name sign or just use your name sign (assuming they dont know your name beforehand)?
+Cayla C Usually you spell your name first then name sign.
Hi Jill and Jenna! I have a quick (that's a lie, it's pretty lengthy 🤣) question about name signs.
I grew up with a mother who's an interpreter, a hard of hearing dad, and a Deaf aunt. I've been raised in both hearing and deaf culture* and am strong in using sign language. For the past couple years, I've started having some hearing losses (I'm in my teens btw) so I am hard of hearing. I've always been on the fence about which community I'm a part of. I have had Deaf people tell me that they think I could qualify as deaf as well, but I'm never really sure. I can still hear, I primarily speak English (Though I use ASL very very often) and I'm mainly around hearing people. I have one friend who has worked (and continues to work) hard to learn ASL and Deaf culture, and always signs with me and is always trying to expand her knowledge of ASL. In my mind, she's the only person who is deserving enough of a name sign, and I think she's earned it. I would love more than anything to give her one, but I don't know if I'm Deaf enough to give her one. And I know a HUGE part of being Deaf is being immersed in and a part of the Deaf culture, and less about actual hearing loss (though that is a huge factor). I want to give her a name sign so bad. But, am I qualified? I don't know, but I would love to hear what you guys think :,)
* I grew up attending an ASL ward of my religion and continue to attend that Dead ward, so I have been heavily influenced and have been around and a part of Deaf culture my entire life.
My name sign changed twice because my deaf friends got to know me better after many years haha It went from the letter M across my cheek showing that I smile a lot...but now it's the using the letter M for the sign "stubborn" lol
+Munkeyy31 Yeah that can happen. Sometimes name sign can be changed as people get to know each other better.
i heard somewhere that the rule for name signs (that a Deaf person has to give them) also applies to characters. is this true? i am hearing and i don't know any d/Deaf/HoH people in my community, but one of the characters in a few stories i've written is Deaf and exclusively uses sign. is it wrong/offensive of me to give the other characters in these stories name signs for the Deaf character to use, or should i consult a Deaf person to give them instead? just wondering! i love your videos :)
+hpispwn98 That's an interesting question. It's good that you are being true to Deaf culture with your Deaf character. I think it's ok for you to come up with name signs for the characters, but it wouldn't hurt to consult with a Deaf person for ideas or making sure the signs are realistic.
Nice video :). Someone in my family (who I never see anymore) gave me a name sign when we where kids. Unfortunately I forgot what it was. I only remember it was a movement near the lips because it stood out to him.
[Jenna] Ahh that's too bad you forgot your name sign. You might get new one someday if you meet new Deaf people.
This is really interesting, thanks! Can I ask, who does your voice over, Jenna? I hear it in some videos and not others.
+Emily Theresa Welby Jill voices for me and warps it so it sounds different.
We aren’t deaf but my son can’t talk. So we are learning sign language so we can communicate with him. We all have long names. So how can we all get name signs? I’m asking so it can be easier for him since he’s only 3.
Someone else told a similar story in the comments as well. I don't know anything about this but it seems like it's something that wouldn't be all that uncommon in the grand scheme of things. I think it's a really important but under looked aspect of the subject and I wish it were being talked about more. Perhaps if you're learning asl from a teacher they could connect you with someone that could help you. I suppose your kid is already six by now but I guess I'm just giving ideas to other people who may be reading this.
Hi Jenna, I enjoyed this video. I received my sign name two years ago when I started attending ASL community classes. My name sign is M with a smile because I always seem to have a smile on my face :)
+Tymerio Cute name sign!
Problem: I live in Israel, so I don’t have ASL signers to give me a name sign...
I once saw an Israeli Sign Language interpreter talk about how name signs can be problematic for him, because they can emphasise features that should not be mentioned in polite society, e.g. former PM Ariel Sharon had a name sign indicating his prominent belly, and his successor Ehud Olmert had one based on his ugly comb-over. He resorted to fingerspelling their names.
I actually chose a sign for myself in ISL, using the sign for ‘blue’, which is V handshape, palm forward fingers up, making a circular motion at about shoulder height, but near my eyes (because my eyes are blue and everyone comments on that), with the fingers closing in to make an ASL N handshape (because my name is Neel, and the equivalent Hebrew letter, נ nun, is formed the same way). I chose it after seeing my beginner ISL teacher showing her sign name was a fingerspelt ש (shin, making a sh-sound, same as fingerspelt W in ASL), because her name was Shelly, from the side of her mouth downwards, where she has a scar. She made a quick remark once about how we’d think up a name sign in a future lesson (we never did) so I ran with it, figuring I’d rather not wind up with a really offensive name.
My intermediate teacher has a sign consisting of two flat hands facing downwards fingers forward at chest height switching positions; it was based on the one time he accidentally wore his left shoe on his right foot and vice versa back when he was a kid. When I mentioned how names seemed to be really offensive, he explained, ‘To you it looks offensive; to us it’s special.’
[Jenna] Yeah it's definitely a cultural difference between Deaf culture and hearing in general. We tend to don't mind using physical characteristics to create name signs, while hearing people tend to be sensitive about that. To Deaf people, its not a bad thing just what make each person unique.
Lepus Albus - wow very interesting.
hi Jill and Jenna,
I want to get involved more in the deaf culture because I think the language is extremely expressive and I want to learn more about the apparently fantastic culture that is behind the language. Also, recently it has become apparent to me that I have some sort of communication disorder and I was told that in American sign language there are different ways of expressing yourself that mean different things and are more clear and spoken English. I used to know a few basic things in AFL when I was young but I have forgotten them all now. Additionally, learning sign language is probably going to be difficult as I have fine motor difficulties.
Is there any way that I can slightly modify what I'm doing to accommodate my fine motor difficulties without offending the culture or the language?
All the best!
Cole
and
Ilia
PS I hope the message was clear if it's not please tell me.
[Jenna] I would highly recommend you to take ASL classes. ASL teachers can help you learn sign language and show you ways to modify signs.
Hello, I am a Kindergarten teacher and my hearing students are interested in getting name signs, I heard in the video that it is proper etiquette for a deaf person to give a name sign. How would I go about finding someone who would be able to do this?
My name is quite long plus it has some the letter that I find the harder to do in lsf (french sign language) so I'm glad I've been given a sign name now x) it's the sign for bird/chick on side of the face because I'm always wearing yellow and I'm small and I met the deaf person that gave it to me on a show about a little bird. It's so cute I love it !
as a hearing interpreter (through an ITP), I was taught they were called Arbitrary (Combined) sign names and Descriptive (the 2nd one you described) sign names =)
I need friend I tried figure out give her sign her name she hearing her name is Rachel her hair is purple always like that any advice for me
Since everyone's talking about their names... Mine's pretty short (Nana), and in JSL the sign for "na", and name "nana", is just an upside-down ASL "u" (back hand facing out), and you just drag it a little ways for "nana". But my sign name is pretty much the "u" sign in ASL mixed with the sign for curly hair (since my hair is curly, and the two fingers is the "nana" sign, haha).
+MrPurinPanda that's pretty neat name sign!
How does that sort of thing come up in a conversation? I'm hearing but i'm learning ASL because I want to be a doctor that can work with the deaf and the blind in the future. My name is Katie is that short or would I most likely be given a name sign?
[Jenna] Usually you can bring up not having a name sign after you get to know a Deaf person a little bit. They need to know your personality before giving you a name sign that will fit you well.
Thanks for the clarification
Thank you for this information. I was just thinking about this the other day. I had a friend in middle/high school who is Deaf and it seemed like her interpreter used lots of name signs, including (if i recall correctly) having one single one for all Andrews. Though I could be remembering wrong and maybe that was my own name sign; I can’t remember well enough to be sure. I was thinking about this the other day so I decided to do some research, leading me to this video.
I'm one hundred percent deaf in my left ear but am hearing in my right ear. I'm considered HOH by the doctors and I consider myself HoH. I'm not fluent in asl and it's not my first language but I tend to consider it my first language (or it's at least the language I revert to when I don't have the spoken words for something or am stressed) I know several deaf people and have been to deaf coffee chats and events in the past while I was taking official classes but I don't anymore because I don't have the option to. Even though I'm mostly culturally hearing (I'd guess anyway) for conversations with my friends who are very interested in learning asl, a few of them take classes in school but aren't taught the culture so I try to help them out, would it be alright if I gave them a name sign for the sake of signing with them and communicating?
+Elliot McK. You can consider ASL as your primary language like I do (I learned English first like you). HOH people can give name signs, so I would say yes you can.
My ASL professor has given me the nickname HAMMER (like just the sign for hammer) because my last name is Hammer. I don't think this counts as a name sign, but I wouldn't want it if it did because I don't like my father and hate sharing his name...
How do you give your child a sign name? We don't have any deaf people in our family and my 2 1/2 y old son is non-verbal. How does he get a name sign?
Jenna said that it's fine for to give them a sign name, but keep it within the family. It will not be considered "official" if that makes sense.
My name is Tiffany and a girl at my church (I was going to a church for the deaf that was also a college. It was really cool as there was an interpreter for the hearing XD ) gave me my sign name and it's the sign for "T" spiraling down the side of the head and just passed the shoulder - my hair was pretty long and wavy when she gave me my name. It just came out of nowhere too as the friend who I worked with who had first invited me to the church (she's a CODA) told me that the other girl had named me. I'm really shy so I hadn't talked to her much but she was always really nice. Everyone was really nice and patient with me. There was a lady who taught sign language before church every Wednesday but I moved so I don't get to go anymore. I have only signed in conversation once in 3 years and that was at my work... :/ I've forgotten a lot...
+Lunacqua Great name sign! That can happen when you don't use signs often and forget some. You can check out ASL Practice Pals on Facebook to meet people and practice using sign language.
I joined the other day, but I haven't gotten to do much yet. Thank you so much! :)
I have been given 2 sign names. One is from my deaf friend who was helping me learn ASL. D excited.
Then a customer gave me the name Dolphin as i was named after Destin beach,FL
I’ve just been reading up on this as BSL has this too (I’m British and hearing but may have Auditory processing disorder, on top of other wonky brain issues but still awaiting)…
Are you basically telling me that you pick CODENAMES LIKE YOU’RE SUPERHEROES? WHERE DO I SIGN (up)?
Those other types of name signs are sometimes referred to as "descriptive" name signs, in some of the research I've found.
Hello! I'm currently learning ASL and I think name signs are really cool. I'm not deaf, I don't have any deaf friends and I'm a little too young to go out and meet people in the deaf community. I'd really like a name sign but I don't want to be disrespectful in anyway by giving myself one. Any tips? Thanks : )
[Jenna] Better to wait until you meet Deaf people to get your name sign. Be patient and eventually you will get one. :)
If my friends gave me a sign name (I'm hearing), is it OK for me to use it?
+Adrienne Scarlett As long as your friends are Deaf/HOH then that is fine.
Is using both hands for name signs common?
So I just discovered your channel because i was curious about the "naming system" 😅
So my name is Rachel and in the town( hospital) i was born in, the people are called sheepheads ( schapenkoppen)
To thanks to your explanation
Mine would be the R and the sign sheep. Thanks for explaning!
Ok so I was kind of in a sign language hyperfixation and have been reearching like crazy. Now my question is this: I am not deaf, I don't actually know any deaf person, and I have a friend, they have several names which I switch between a lot, and are pretty long for most of them. Does anyone have an ideo of how I could make it easier to sign when refering to them without giving them a sign name since it would be disrespectful of the deaf community.
Screw this "disrespectful" nonsense. You make a name sign to use with your friend, if someone is offended by you making your conversation with them easier, that's their problem.
When I was a little girl, my mother taught at a school for the Deaf. My name sign is 'long hair' with the letter m - I'm sure you can guess why. :)
Is it okay to ask for a name sign or should you wait for someone to give it to you?
I don't want to force myself into a culture if I'm not yet accepted, but I'm really excited to possibly have a name sign.
Usually you should wait for a Deaf person to get to know you before they give you a name sign to fit your personality. That take time, so be patient. :)
Hi Gina I have a meme sign. It’s the letter Y to your either left or right shoulder depends on which kind you are. So if you’re left-handed like me it’ll be the letter I going to your right shoulder. That is my name sign. And you spell my name Ineko
My best friend is deaf and we have been best friends for 15 years (we are both 18, she is the girl with black hair in my pp) and even though my name is long I do not have an official name sign we just have gotten so used to the way each other signs that other people who know sign and could see us might not understand it because we have made the language so our own. I find everyone has their own spin on the language. It can make it hard to work in that field but honestly I love ASL and signing more than I love speaking English. I may not be a perfect signer but I owe Tay everything for getting me into it and showing me my future career path.
+Annalee C Yes, I've noticed with my group of friends that we come up with certain signs for our conversations only. Almost like inside joke or slang. Home signs is also common within hearing-deaf relationships(friends, family, etc).
I'm currently learning ASL and I would like to know why a person in the deaf community has to pick the sign for you?? Please reply and awesome video
+Damien Stevens Name signs are very important part of Deaf culture plus Deaf community have guidelines and they know who have certain name signs to avoid conflicts or duplicates. Hearing people giving each other name signs is considered cultural appropriation.
+J. Stew okay thank you
what if you don't know anyone that is deaf? I am wanting to teach my son sign language to broaden his communication skills and learn myself. but I want a name sign for Travis but he is only 4 months old currently also. thank you for your help
[Jenna] You can still teach him some signs, but name sign is a privilege that only a Deaf person can give.
If I understand correctly, a name sign is the sign people use to reference a person who is not right there. To your hearing friends, you can just say his name, right??
To their face I might call my baby “cutie” or “snookums” or “dude”, but I would use their given name if I was talking _about_ them.
I was interested to see that my favorite UA-camrs have a vegan channel! I will definitely check it out, but first, could you please help me? Could you describe how to sign "vegan" in ASL? I can't find anything in my books!
[Jill] It is just fingerspelled.
a long time ago about maybe 2-4 years ago I went a Deaf a event and met this girl. I saw her at another Deaf event and she fingerspelled my name then she signed a B Hand at the side if her head. I thought because my name is Ben and my hair is a crucut that this was my name sign. Could I be wrong. If so I introduce myself with the name sign all the time so if I am wrong should I still use it??
+Ben Simon You're not wrong. That's perfectly fine to use as your name sign.
+J. Stew thanks I get OCD about these kind of things lol.
My name is Laura sign name laugh with L. And I am deaf blind. But my boyfriend name is Thomas and he is such a goofball or silly very funny but I’m finding it hard to think of sign name for him. Any ideas? It would be easier to give him a sign name because I use his name a lot when we talk and spelling Thomas all the time is more frustrating than the language barrier. Any help would be great.
Can someone who's mute or hard of hearing give a name sign?
This seems like a dumb question, but I know that only deaf people can assign a name sign to people, but do dead people ever give name signs to other deaf people? Or do you chose your own? Sorry if that is common knowledge I'm just curious I guess:)
+Chloe Wiley Yes Deaf people do give each other name signs.
J.stew what if you don't have any one that is deaf but my friends and I sign daily at school could we give each other names ......plus my friends mom said deaf and she has been signing since she was 3
+Antonia A.G There are no exceptions for hearing people to give each other name signs. That's a big no-no. If your friend's mom is deaf then she can give you a name sign.
What is your opinion on if a hearing person gives the name sign but they don't use verbal language but they sign?
+Olivia Hodgson I wouldn't recommend that in general because of cultural background. Name signs are big part of Deaf culture so it's better for members of the Deaf community to be the one to give out name signs. There are exceptions of course, but generally a Deaf person should be the one to do so.
+J. Stew ok thanks
Mine is cool (open hand with thumb pointing to the middle of your chest) but with a G because my ASL teacher thought I was cool!
Question, do Deaf people ever get offended when hearing people have name signs? Mine was given to me by my Deaf ASL professor after knowing me for a semester and I have heard mixed reviews about professors assigning name signs.
It should be fine since a Deaf person gave you that name sign.
I have two questions.
Would/could a deaf person give themselves a name sign or would they need another deaf person to give it to them?
And, how would a deaf person born to hearing parents get their name sign?
[Jenna] It's better for other Deaf people to give a Deaf person sign name because they can see how that person's personality/characteristics look like to other people.
Deaf people born to hearing parents can get a name sign when they get involved in a Deaf community.
Thanks!
I know most Deaf children have Deaf parents but when that's not the case, who gives them the sign? Is there an existing sign for the name Lee? I'm just curious, I don't have kids.
[Jenna] Actually more than 90% of Deaf children don't have Deaf parents. They often get name signs from their Deaf peers or Deaf role models in their local communities.
My name is basically the letter N repeated twice. My name is Nadine. Is there any special meaning to it?
Id ask the person who gave it to you if you can but my guess as a hearing person is that it's just alliteration.
I’ve recently discovered an interest in asl. I know how to spell my name but I don’t know anyone who is deaf that could give me a name sign, what should I do?
[Jenna] Try meet Deaf people through local events or online. You could search and see if there are any ASL events in your area, or ASL groups to join on Facebook.
My name sign is "sweet" with a C handshape 😊 I am hearing but a deaf friend of mine gave me a name sign. It actually made me feel honored to receive a name sign!
+Caitlyn Cagle It's a honor to have one for sure. Cute name sign. :)
I got the letter L and then hold it onto the palm of my other hand. I'm not sure why I was given this one but it is so interesting how SL works!
What if you don't know a deaf person. I really want to have one because I'm trying to learn sign language. can u give me one?
[Jenna] It's better to meet a Deaf person and let they get to know your personality to give you a name sign that match you well. Take your time and socialize w/ local Deaf community or online.
IMHO - if you don’t know any Deaf you hardly _need_ a name sign, right??
A question for you - how important is sport to the Deaf community in the US? In Australia, it's pretty important, for a lot of people it serves as their introduction to the Deaf community, and provides a reason to get together. (I'm just thinking about this because the 17th Australian Deaf Games are about to draw to a close, and it's the biggest gathering of Deaf and HoH people in Australia).
+David Willanski I would say it's pretty important here for similar reasons as yours. One great example is annual Gallaudet vs. RIT/NTID competition in April. Both take turns each year to host the competition on a weekend and compete through sports and activities.
+David Willanski I was in Oz for the Deaf Games (and still am for a couple weeks). Like Jenna said, the RIT/Gallaudet competition is a pretty big thing, but I would not say the importance of sport in general is at the same level as Oz. We don't have any national competitions except for Deaf schools and that ends once you graduate high school.
I am going to give myself a name sign, "Blinky." This way I won't have to use my hands.
[Jenna] haha, nice one. Sadly, it won't be considered a sign since a sign consists at least one hand.
I'm hearing my special needs son is hard of hearing and non verbal how do I call him in sign. We communicate with him in sign but it's hard to fingerspell ricky everytime
Its fine to give him a name sign just keep it within your family
I got my name sign from my friend in first grade. He was deaf. My first signs were my name sign and the signs for 'play' and 'me'. All a little one needs to know! My name starts at the side of my head with my hand in the 'C' shape and spirals down. I had long curly hair!
[Jenna] Cute name sign. :)
what if you dont like your name sign or get offended by the characteristic they chose etc? are we ever consulted by the deaf person about it or do we just... get stuck with it
because im taking asl and i hoped my name sign could by like... S and A initials making a heart shape or something representative... but what if someone gives me a name sign like... "short" or "late" etc?
[Jenna] You can say you don't like the name sign if it's offensive for whatever reason and I'm sure that Deaf person can come up with a name sign that better fit you.
ASL Stew can HOH people give signs too? if hearing loss is significant and they sign
Can a hard of hearing person give a name sign I was taught by my ASL instructor who works for Sorenson relay I was taught by my ASL instructor who works for Sorenson video relay and has worked in my school district as an interpreter since 1990 that it was OK.
+141zuco Yes, hard of hearing people can. Usually, it's better for them to be fluent in ASL and involved in Deaf community before they do that as they will be more comfortable and aware of guidelines for name signs.
Are Mute and Non-verbal autistic people allowed to give name signs? i am Autistic and often go nonverbal so my therapist suggested i learn sign language to help with that, but i do not want to appropriate deaf culture
No, only Deaf/HOH can give name signs since that is part of Deaf culture. Learning sign language would be great for you as it makes it easier for you to communicate while nonverbal. You could see if there are any local Deaf community to get involved and eventually one of the Deaf people could give you a name sign. :)
J. Stew i recently got diagnosed as HOH... can i choose a sign/ give signs?
Can someone who is hard of hearing not completely deaf pick a sign name?
My name sign is just the letter j and p in sign language since my name is Jennifer Perez, I have friends that are deaf and hard of hearing, so I was given it by them
I love when hearing people say they think it is stupid that only Deaf people can give you a name sign. If it is their language, their culture, their world, then of course they should be able to be the one to give you one. And if you were to actually want a name sign then that would mean you are learning sign language... if you are learning sign language it is obviously to be involved with the Deaf community and then someone will be happy to give you a name sign when the time is right. If you want to learn sign language and be part of that culture, then you have to respect and follow their traditions and rules such as with name signs. Also, can animals have name signs? And you should make a video (if you haven't already) about little d deaf and big D Deaf, I'm sure it would clear up a lot of the confusion on whether or not old people who lost their hearing could give name signs and such. There is a huge difference between deaf and Deaf. That was the first thing learned in my ASL 1 class. My teacher has been an interpreter for 20+ years all over the country so she really empathsizes the culture. I love going to Deaf sociales and plan on becoming an interpreter.
I just found your video about identities. Loved it (:
+chemha55 Glad you found the video. :) You are right about the significance of cultural background for giving out name signs. Animals can have name signs! Our cats have their own name signs. :)
Can you make your own???
So in Austria we only use deskriptive name signs, mine is Africa, because I lived in Lesotho for a while and my first contact with deaf culture was there. I find it interesting that you say a deaf person has to give you your name, because the people I know say it is extremly annoying that people who start out with learning ASL come up to them and ask them, a friend told me since a name is deeply personal she doesn't like assigning them to other people. But to be clear that is just a the deaf people I know, and it is surely not an universally held opinion. On the other hand I also have the impression that when it comes to name signs it's more of a discussion and adopting them is up to the person that should be described by it. In Austria fingerspelling is very rarely used in general, so here that's not really an option for your sign name, only for spelling out your name.
+nowisgood4me Tha's definitely interesting how different Deaf culture can be in another countries. Thank you for the comparison. I agree that it's usually better to get to know a person before giving a sign name that would best suit them.
My old best friend’s mum (who is deaf) used my (dead)name’s first letter then the sign eyes because she thought I had really pretty eyes (I don’t really see anything special in them, they’re just plain brown lol) then when I came out as trans she immediately respected me and my name change and started using my new name’s first letter which is M (I only go by my first name when I’m in Turkey so when I’m in England people usually use my second name which is Magnus)
I got my name sign when I was 4 or 5, and I'm not positive if my cousin & her family are still using it, but I secretly hope they are. I was very obsessed with cats at that age, and my parents called me nina-cat as a nickname, so she substituted an n handshape into the sign for cat. So my name sign is an n moving horizontally away from your cheek
+Nina Elizabeth that's adorable! :)
my name is Josh, but my deaf friend, after having to spell it out so often in conversation between her and her boyfriend, have named me JJ. so really just a jiggle of the hand and it's much easier for them to reference me (I mean, they do kinda talk about me a lot more since the moved in next door and we hang out a lot!)
my gf has also been given a name, a "K" near the eye because of her awesome eyeliner!
Yeah it can become annoying to fingerspell someone's name often, so a name sign make it easier to sign quicker. Those are great name signs. :)
I just saw that you responded to this (So excited that you did, btw, big fan of ASL Stew) and I did have a question for you that may have been answered in a previous video (if it has just let me know and I'll go watch it)
My deaf friend knows SEE and that's what I'm learning as a result. She even gifted me a copy of her SEE Dictionary for my bday! It means so much to be able to work on my communication skills with her. My question is basically, do you think it would be easier to learn ASL alongside SEE, or should I wait until I have a better understanding of SEE before jumping into ASL? I ask because even though SEE is easier for me to comprehend, I want to eventually be able to communicate with ASL. Which of course this begs a second question, if I go to deaf events in order to learn more, will I be able to get by with knowing SEE for now or will I be shunned for not knowing ASL?
(sorry for the book!)
We always try our best to respond to as many comments as we could!
Learning SEE and ASL will be like learning two languages. It really depends on if you feel comfortable with learning two separate languages at same time or become fluent in one before starting another one.
As for the deaf events question, you should be ok and deaf people in general will be understanding and patient with communicating with you. Some may give you feedback and correct your signing. Some may be more direct/blunt and that is part of Deaf culture so don't be offended if that happens. Don't worry, it will be a great learning experience for you and you will learn faster by socializing with Deaf people at the events!
Awesome, thank you so much for your response! now to think about questions I'd possibly like answered in future videos. lol
mine is a kind of mash of the two! my nickname is Peach, so my name sign combines the letter M and the sign for Peach. so i guess thats more like the first one haha. my ASL teacher is called Jessica and her name sign is J + "Crazy" lol :'D
+Masey Bradway Haha that's cute name sign.
How do people who started out hearing, and then went deaf, learned sign language, and identify as deaf, but don't know any other deaf people get a name sign? Do they just not get a name sign or what? I really don' understand?
+Angelofdarkness willcomeforyou they could give themselves name sign until they meet another Deaf person.
+J. Stew thanks; I appreciate the info. Btw, y'all videos r really helpful, thanks for making them.
I got my name sign when I was 6 . K with curly hair .. now at 26 I no longer have curly hair lol
[Jenna] Guess you need to curl your hair daily... just kidding lol.
In my asl class, we just learned about name signs today. She told us that we were allowed to give each other/ourselves a name sign, but we are only allowed to use them in class. We are NOT allowed to use them outside of class, because they are not real, proper name signs.
+Autumn Newell Make sense. That's nice way of getting an idea of what name signs are all about.
the general name signs are called "arbitrary" name signs and the others are "characteristic" name signs
Thank you for that. Never heard of the label of "characteristic".
its funny how u mentioned "old school" way of giving a name sign, as I have seen, both ways in my experience,
as I have a short name, I really wasnt, given one, but, a church friend, she's deaf, of coarse, did come up with one, would have to show u visually, tho.
+Jill godfrey Yeah it's hard to describe name signs in English sometimes.
I started watching Switched at Birth about 6 months ago and I kinda picked up a few signs and then I asked my dad is sign language counted as a second language and he said yes. so I've been really interested ever since. 😊👌
That's awesome you learned about sign language through the show.