Throwing without Knowing?

[naraht]

Originally Posted by DubaiSis

I am perfectly ok with my sorority's hand sign since it is so painfully simple and celebrates the letter that makes us unique among NPC sororities. But the ones who have ridiculously complicated ones? Yeah, they should stop trying so hard to be cool. Their symbols are interesting and unique and the fact that they can't be mimicked in hand gestures should be celebrated, not used to cause carpal tunnel.

But straying into the ASL question, I have wondered how sorority names are translated for ASL. My nephew goes to RIT, a school with a lot of deaf students. I asked him to find out but, you know, he doesn't care so never got me an answer. Does anyone know if the letters are spelled out, abbreviated, made a single gesture, or what?

There is a Greek Sign Language which has fingerspelling signs for the Greek Alphabet the same way that American Sign Language has for the English Alphabet. See http://myweb.ttu.edu/carsteph/GreekManualAlphabet.jpg , but I've *never* seen these signs used by Greek Letter Organizations.

My fraternity in signing our toast song uses the following sign. The Boy Scout sign is also our handsign, it starts out "on the square" (upper arm horizontal, lower arm up), then is folded over the heart and then extended palm up. We'd never try using it with a group without explaining it first, but in casual conversation in ASL, they'd probably just abbreviate it to APO.

[KDCat]

Originally Posted by naraht

There is a Greek Sign Language which has fingerspelling signs for the Greek Alphabet the same way that American Sign Language has for the English Alphabet. See http://myweb.ttu.edu/carsteph/GreekManualAlphabet.jpg , but I've *never* seen these signs used by Greek Letter Organizations.

My fraternity in signing our toast song uses the following sign. The Boy Scout sign is also our handsign, it starts out "on the square" (upper arm horizontal, lower arm up), then is folded over the heart and then extended palm up. We'd never try using it with a group without explaining it first, but in casual conversation in ASL, they'd probably just abbreviate it to APO.

I'm not loving the sign for "Kappa." "Delta" is okay, but "Kappa" looks like you're flipping someone the bird!

[naraht]

Originally Posted by KDCat

I'm not loving the sign for "Kappa." "Delta" is okay, but "Kappa" looks like you're flipping someone the bird!

Kappa and Delta are actually identical to the ASL signs for K and D. For the Kappa/K, it is the index finger that is going up and the middle finger that is going out.

[KDCat]

Originally Posted by naraht

Kappa and Delta are actually identical to the ASL signs for K and D. For the Kappa/K, it is the index finger that is going up and the middle finger that is going out.

Thank you for the correction! That's what I thought at first and then I looked at the picture and it looked like it was middle finger extended. National Kappa Delta would LOVE *that* in some pictures.

[naraht]

Originally Posted by KDCat

Thank you for the correction! That's what I thought at first and then I looked at the picture and it looked like it was middle finger extended. National Kappa Delta would LOVE *that* in some pictures.

A lot of ASL signs are initialized to give related terms.
For example, for a motion for Shoulder to Waist diagonally (like a royal sash), Handshape of C = Christ
Handshape of K = King
Handshape of Q = Queen
Handshape of P = Prince/Princess
Handshape of E = Emanuel

So you'll see the letters from fingerspelling a lot...