Sign Language Sign Language Handshapes and Classifiers 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What are the five parameters of ASL signs?
- Speed, rhythm, duration, intensity, space
- Handshape, location, palm orientation, movement, non-manual markers (Correct answer)
- Fingers, thumb, wrist, arm, body
- Shape, size, color, texture, weight
Correct answer: Handshape, location, palm orientation, movement, non-manual markers
The five parameters of ASL signs are handshape, location, palm orientation, movement, and non-manual markers—changing any one can change the meaning of a sign.
Question 2: What are 'minimal pairs' in ASL?
- Two signers who look similar
- Two signs that differ in only one parameter (Correct answer)
- Two words that sound alike in English
- Two students who are learning signs together
Correct answer: Two signs that differ in only one parameter
Minimal pairs in ASL are two signs that are identical in all parameters except one, similar to minimal pairs in spoken languages that differ by one sound.
Question 3: The signs MOTHER and FATHER in ASL differ by which parameter?
- Handshape
- Movement
- Location (Correct answer)
- Palm orientation
Correct answer: Location
MOTHER and FATHER in ASL use the same handshape and movement, but MOTHER is located at the chin while FATHER is located at the forehead.
Question 4: What is the dominant hand in ASL signing?
- The hand that is always on top
- The preferred or stronger hand that typically performs the main sign movement (Correct answer)
- The right hand, regardless of the signer's preference
- The hand closest to the body
Correct answer: The preferred or stronger hand that typically performs the main sign movement
The dominant hand is the signer's preferred hand (usually the right for right-handed signers) that performs the primary movement in signs.
Question 5: What is a 'initialized sign' in ASL?
- A sign made at the beginning of a conversation
- A sign that incorporates the first letter of the corresponding English word (Correct answer)
- A formal greeting sign
- The first sign a Deaf child learns
Correct answer: A sign that incorporates the first letter of the corresponding English word
Initialized signs incorporate the handshape of the first letter of the corresponding English word, such as using the W handshape for WATER or the F handshape for FAMILY.
Question 6: What does 'palm orientation' refer to as a parameter of ASL signs?
- The size of the hand during a sign
- Which direction the palm faces during a sign (Correct answer)
- How far from the body a sign is made
- The speed of the hand movement
Correct answer: Which direction the palm faces during a sign
Palm orientation refers to which direction the palm faces during a sign (up, down, toward the signer, away, etc.) and is one of the five parameters that distinguish signs.
Sign Language Sign Language Handshapes and Classifiers 2
What are the five parameters of ASL signs?