Initialization in American Sign Language (Initialized Signing)

ASL: Initialization / Initialized Signing

Available for a student report.

Initialization is the process of using the ASL fingerspelled letter that represents the first letter of an English word as the handshape for a sign.

For example, the signs CLASS and FAMILY are initialized signs.

FAMILY:

Warning: Overuse of initialization is frowned upon by the Deaf Community. While it is true that quite a few initialized signs have found their way into general usage in the Deaf community--you would do well to use initialization as little as possible if you are trying to develop your ASL skills.

Discussion: A discussion regarding the initialized version of the initialized sign for SINGLE:

A person interested in signing writes:

<<OH....single...with an "s" and not the first finger on each side of the mouth. I see....that was a very English-type sign. I'm surprised you signed it that way. Hmm. Interesting. Is that how everyone is signing it now in ASL? Should I change that? I don't want to be left out of the loop. :)
Smile!! I showed my kids your signs and they thought it was so neat to be able to pull that up on the web. They also thought it was neat that I knew you. My kids are 6-8th grade and vary in ability levels from 1st-5th grade in reading levels. They all enjoy being able to see adult signers. I enjoyed being able to pull up your site in class. Thanks for the info!! Hope all is going well.
Michelle __________
Deaf Ed Teacher>>

Michelle,
(Please know that I think the world of you and that any defensive tone in this letter is just my natural inclination to consider both sides of ANYTHING. Such being the case, I'm not responding to you but rather to the people that think "one way is the right way" -- which, strangely enough, usually happens to be their way. )

Now, ...on with the discussion...

It is a fact that I include "variations" in my website. I strive to put the most commonly used ASL signs at the top of pages and the lesser used variations lower down. Occasionally I include a "less common" variation on a quiz to make sure my students are actually studying deeply instead of superficially.

If a person were to have gone through the lessons starting with number 1 and working forward, they would get to lesson two which contained the vocabulary word "single." Then they'd go to the "single" page, and see the variations.

Please DO go to the page so you can see what I'm talking about:
http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-signs/single.htm

It takes a while to load because of the graphics, but you will notice that I also show the "index" finger version of the sign. You asked if that is how "everyone is signing it in ASL now?"

I've yet to see "everyone" sign ANYTHING the same.

By including some of the lesser known variations of signs in my quizzes it helps make sure my students are thoroughly familiar with a wide range of sign choices. I expect my online students to RECOGNIZE common variations. I encourage them to USE the regionally appropriate variations.

You said that the "S" version of "single" is an "English type" sign.

I know what you mean. It is common to label any "initialized sign" as "signed English." But for your consideration I would suggest that really, "S"ingle is no more "English" than the signs Aunt and Uncle are "English" signs.

There are many, many legitimate, widely used ASL signs that are initialized. Here are a few for example: Congress, yellow, workshop, Monday, ready, semester, nurse, project, patient/hospital, law, governor, elevator...and my favorite: "family."

No one in their right mind, (but plenty in a wrong mind) would be willing to dispute that "family" is a bona fide ASL sign used by hundreds of thousands of culturally Deaf people on a regular basis.

But, since initialization is so "obvious" it is easy to label (or perhaps mislabel).

ASL is a living language though, and as such is constantly changing and incorporating new lexicon (vocabulary).

Now, back to the "single" sign--check out:

Costello, E., & Lenderman, L. (1994). Random House American sign language dictionary (1st ed ed.). New York: Random House.

You will notice that Elaine lists the side to side mini-sweeping motion version of single as the main version. She lists the initialized version as an "alternate sign." And she doesn't even mention the "index finger to the sides of the mouth" version that you suggested.

Does that "prove" the initialized version is "ASL?"

A man or woman convinced against his or her will, is a disbeliever still.

I could even jump on the other side of the fence and point out that the sign SINGLE has a non-initialized version that works well, (the index finger to the sides of the mouth) but the sign AUNT doesn't, therefore "SINGLE"-(initialized) is not as legitimate of an ASL sign as is AUNT. But then again, I could sign, "MY DAD, HIS SISTER" to mean AUNT though. Obviously, initialized signs for words like "I" and "WE" are not necessary in ASL. (Unless, perhaps, if you were using ASL to discuss English.)

But, suffice to say, Elaine (the above named author/expert) --in addition to her own lifetime worth of expertise gained from interacting with thousands of Deaf people--employed the knowledge and expertise of over 80 "sign informants," (most of whom are Deaf) to ensure the appropriateness of the content of that dictionary. So, if one or two, (or 10 or 20) people choose to debate the issue, I suggest they go debate it with Dr. Costello and her team of 80 sign informants.

My suggestion is for you to teach your students whatever version of any particular sign is commonly used in YOUR region, and then as an ASL expert use your judgment as to which variations appear in your region often enough to warrant their inclusion in your class.

Best wishes, your friend,

Bill

Katie Beaman & Bill Vicars
April 22, 2003

Borrowed Language:

It is a well known fact that languages borrow from other languages they come in contact with. English uses words like guru (Hindi) and taco (Spanish). This is a natural phenomenon that cannot be escaped.

American Sign Language (ASL) also borrows from other languages. “Loan signs” are signs that are borrowed from other countries. Some of ASL is actually French Sign Language, introduced to American Deaf through Laurent Clerc.

Many signs use “initialization” to clarify a meaning. Sometimes initialized signs are created for a sign system, but quite a few signs use the first letter (derived from English) to show a more precise meaning. (For example, many colors in ASL like blue, green, and yellow are signed using the first letter of the word.)

Are these signs really English and not ASL? Of course not! These are natural ASL signs that are accepted by the Deaf community. Initialization of American Sign Language signs is a natural occurrence in ASL that won’t fade any time soon.

In a message dated 2/17/2010 11:40:31 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, Randy.Reynolds@ writes:
I see you recommend the sign for doctor with the letter D tapped on the wrist. I was using that in my area but everyone around here insists that it is signed English. Could this be a regional thing? Just curious.
Thanks,
Randy
----------------------------------

Randy,

Uh huh. And an "M" for "medic" is less English how?
No need to answer that.
There's a fellow I know who feels initializations are okay but only if they were introduced before the 1960's.
Instead of signing "OFFICE" he signs "WORK BOX-(room)." I personally think that is extreme.

I've seen the argument presented dozens of ways.
But really, it is not a regional thing -- it is an "anti-English" backlash/rebellion thing.
It is the Gays reclaiming the word "queer" and wearing it on their shirts and using it in their organization names.
It is "I'm Deaf and proud and you and your English don't own me."
It is zeitgeist (the spirit of the day) to reclaim any "initialized sign" that could possibly be done without an initial. This is often attempted or accomplished by labeling commonly initialized words as Signed English -- thus instantly stigmatizing the initialized word.

I suggest to you though that there is a difference between Signed English "over initialization."

Some of the favorite targets for "de-initialization" are the signs doctor, breakfast, lunch, dinner, system, vocabulary, and free. For example it is you will see people signing "eat night" instead of dinner.

To try to put some sanity back into the world, I start asking such people how they do the list of signs below.
After a bit it becomes very obvious that they use PLENTY of initialized signs and that initialized signs are entrenched in ASL. So the question becomes, "What qualifies BLUE to be ASL but DOCTOR (with a D) is relegated to Signed English?"

No, seriously ask for a list of characteristics of why it is okay to sign "W" on the chin for "water" but not a "D" on the wrist for "doctor."
The answer generally proffered is: "We already have a sign for 'doctor' whereas we have no good alternative sign for 'blue.'"
But that fails to answer the question why "BLUE" isn't English and "DOCTOR" is.

The "D" version of "doctor" maps to a contemporary version of the English word doctor. The "M" version maps to an old English word that meant doctor.
Already having an initialized sign for doctor (based on medic) doesn't automatically mean that another initialized sign for doctor is English. What it means is that you now have two signs for doctor, one of which looks less like English than the other one and since English is the "got cooties" of the Deaf world these days you'll find many ASL instructors throwing stones at the one that looks more like English.

Here's the funny thing. I go to work where my colleagues are ASL Instructors and ask them how do you sign "doctor." They will generally show me the "M" version and/or show me show me both and then "educate me" that the "M" version is "more" ASL.
Then I go to a community event and ask average Deaf folks how do you sign "doctor" and the vast majority of them sign it with a "D"!
So, you tell me, which version is more "ASL?"
But the thing about languages is this. If enough people DO jump on the bandwagon and start signing "M"edic instead of "D"octor, at some point the "D"octor sign really does become the "wrong" sign. This is simply due to the fact that languages are about consensus. At some point if 51% of the Deaf community starts signing doctor with "bent fingers" (a modified "M") then that sign should be listed as the "main" variation and the sign "D"octor should be listed as a secondary variation. At some point if so few people sign "D"octor that the majority of the Deaf community would not easily recognize it out of context then I'd say the sign was actually "wrong." Time will tell.
Cordially,
Dr. Bill

In a message dated 8/24/2012 8:46:41 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, miand2464 writes:

Dr Vicars:
I have contacted you several times in the past few years.

I took my SLPI for the first time in April. I got Survival Plus. (Which KILLED me). The scorer, _________ of the WPSD, took off major points for "overuse of initialized signs". He listed 1. BASEMENT. Which I totally knew better than. But that B hand just slipped out. 2. LIFE/LIVE. I know that the pointy finger can be tucked in for LIVE, but tons of Deaf use the L hand for that sign. Anyway, I retook it last month (advanced, thank you very much), and AGAIN he cited my "overuse" of the dreaded initialized sign. This time, he cited my D hand in DECISION. I don't even know the alternative to using the D hand for that. I think he has a bee in his bonnet regarding the issue. Do you have any thoughts on this?

The first time I broached this issue with you was the R hands in RESPONSIBILITY. Thanks for addressing that at your wonderfully helpful site. It's my GO TO site for a dictionary. I only go to ________, if you don't have the sign listed.

I hope we get to meet one day.

Fondly,

Mian D.

Mian,

The DECIDE (decision) sign has many important ties to the "F" handshape. Let me share some information with you and tell you a story. Look at a few coins in your pocket and you'll notice that the coins which used to be made out of silver have ridges along the edges. Those ridges are there to prevent the practice of "shaving." Back in the very old days when coins were made out of precious metals if those coins had smooth round edges it was relatively easy and common for unscrupulous people to "shave" a bit of gold or silver off of the coin. Shop keepers used to put coins on a balance scale to check to judge if the incoming coin weighed as much as the reference coin. If the incoming coin didn't weigh as much, the shopkeeper could decide that it had been shaved and thus reject it. If a person was caught shaving he could end up in court.
Now, is that story true? Perhaps, perhaps not. But my point is many of those concepts: "coin," "court," "if," "judge," and "decide" are all based on the classifier "F" handshape (depiction verb) used to show a "small round object." Someone who is very familiar with and comfortable using ASL would tend feel a little "uncomfortable" using a "D" handshape for the sign "DECIDE." Also, there is no set or combination of English concepts competing for the location, orientation, movement, and handshape used by the sign "DECIDE."
The sign "NURSE" gets initialized because the English concept of "nurse" competes with the English concept of "doctor" for the same articulatory features(location, movement, orientation). The signs "GOVERNMENT" and "POLITICS" are also acceptably initialized because they too compete for the same "real estate."
The sign "DECIDE" is not competing against some other concept for the articulatory bundle consisting of: "point to head with the index finger of the dominant hand, then transition to both hands in front of you in F-handshapes and bring them both downward a short distance and end with an abrupt stop."

Thus changing the handshape from an "F" hand into a "D" hand only serves to make the sign more "English-like." Initialization in this case doesn't serve to reduce competition nor increase distinction. Rather, initialization degrades the sign "DECIDE" by pulling it further away from it's iconic roots.
Which signs should and should not be initialized isn't random. On an individual sign by sign basis it isn't even all that complex. The challenge is that cumulatively there are thousands and thousands of yet to be written "rules" that apply to ASL. I've just "written" a few of those rules for you regarding the sign for "DECIDE."
As a lexicographer I will likely be documenting such rules and explaining their applications for the rest of my life. (And it is also likely I will only manage to make a minor "dent" in the overall documentation process).
So what is a student or practitioner of a language to do? How can they come to know when initialization is and is not acceptable?
Study is helpful but only goes so far.
Beyond study it is a matter of exposure and use.
After a person has obtained sufficient knowledge and skill in ASL via frequent, prolonged, and ongoing exposure to the language via interaction with skilled signers he or she will eventually get a "feel" for what is right and what isn't right.
So, press forward and carry on!
-- Dr. Bill

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