handshapes
Manual letter forms
Handshapes are the specific configurations of fingers and palm used in sign languages to form signs.
Each sign language has a finite set of handshapes that combine with location and movement to create meaning.
In American Sign Language, handshapes range from a closed fist to spread fingers to pinched fingertips.
Linguists analyze handshapes as phonological units analogous to consonants and vowels in spoken languages.
Letter-by-letter hand alphabet
- ASLManual visual communication system
- BSLBritish sign language
- classifierAssigns items to groups
- phonologyScience of language sounds
morpheme · location · movement · signer · deaf · interpreter · unmarked · marked
fingerspelling
Letter-by-letter hand alphabet
- ASLManual visual communication system
- BSLBritish sign language
- classifierAssigns items to groups
phonology · morpheme · location · movement · signer · deaf · interpreter · unmarked · marked · nondominant
thumbs-up
Gesture indicating approval
beckon · facepalm · high-five · fistbump · salute · namaste · clench · cupped · claw · snap
palm
Hand's flat interior
grip · pinch · grasp · curl · extension · flexion · opposition · prehensile · digit · metacarpal
handshapesmovements
Changes in position
gestures · waving · hand movements · trajectory · articulation
handshapesmovement
Change in position
motion · gestures · waving · trajectories · transitions