"name" American Sign Language (ASL)

American Sign Language: "name" Video of "NAME" Handshape: "H" handshape on both hands. Movement: Tends to be a double movement (but a single movement is also common). Non-Manual Marker: In general this uses a neutral facial expression. In the sentence "What is your name?" signed as NAME YOU? (Wh-question expression) you furrow the eyebrows and tilt the head forward a bit. Inflections: NAMED (verb) (When he was a puppy I named my dog Fido) [Note: For the verb version of this sign, I use a single movement.] Sample usage: "What is your name?" In the example below note my facial expression. The furrowed eyebrows, the tilt of my head, and the location of my hands all turn this one sign into a whole sentence: "What is your name?" You don't need any additional signs to express this meaning. This is often signed as "NAME YOU?" Or "YOUR NAME?" Optional Reading (Not needed for class) "NAME vs MENTION-(called, named, christened...)" Technically "NAME" using a double movement is a noun. The verb form uses a single movement. I've noticed most of us tend to sign "NAME YOU?" using a single movement for NAME thus we are actually signing: "What are you called/named?" In reality that the noun/verb rule tends to get mangled quite a bit. But it really doesn't matter since they end up getting the same response: 1. What do they call you? (verb) 2. What is your name? (noun) What I wish would happen: Teacher: YOU NAME-(what)? Student: J-O-H-N S-M-I-T-H. What happens all too often: Teacher: YOU NAME-(what)? Student: MY NAME J-O-H-N S-M-I-T-H. After teaching ASL for 30 years over 1,000 minutes of my life have been wasted watching students needlessly sign "MY NAME." Math: (3.333R seconds) (3 x per semester) (100 students) (2 semesters per year) (30 years) = approximately 60,000 seconds = 1,000 minutes Want to help support ASL University? It's easy: DONATE (Thanks!) (You don't need a PayPal account. Just look for the credit card logos and click continue.) Another way to help is to buy something from the ASLU "Bookstore." Want even more ASL resources? Visit the "ASL Training Center!" (Subscription Extension of ASLU) CHECK IT OUT > Bandwidth slow? Check out "ASLUniversity.com" (a free mirror of Lifeprint.com less traffic, fast access) VISIT > You can learn sign language online at American Sign Language University ™ hosted by Lifeprint.com © Dr. William Vicars

American Sign Language: "name"

Video of "NAME"

Handshape: "H" handshape on both hands.
Movement: Tends to be a double movement (but a single movement is also common).
Non-Manual Marker: In general this uses a neutral facial expression. In the sentence "What is your name?" signed as NAME YOU? (Wh-question expression) you furrow the eyebrows and tilt the head forward a bit.

Inflections: NAMED (verb) (When he was a puppy I named my dog Fido) [Note: For the verb version of this sign, I use a single movement.]

Sample usage: "What is your name?"
In the example below note my facial expression. The furrowed eyebrows, the tilt of my head, and the location of my hands all turn this one sign into a whole sentence: "What is your name?" You don't need any additional signs to express this meaning. This is often signed as "NAME YOU?" Or "YOUR NAME?"

Optional Reading (Not needed for class)

"NAME vs MENTION-(called, named, christened...)"
Technically "NAME" using a double movement is a noun.
The verb form uses a single movement.
I've noticed most of us tend to sign "NAME YOU?" using a single movement for NAME thus we are actually signing: "What are you called/named?"
In reality that the noun/verb rule tends to get mangled quite a bit. But it really doesn't matter since they end up getting the same response:
1. What do they call you? (verb)
2. What is your name? (noun)

What I wish would happen:
Teacher: YOU NAME-(what)?
Student: J-O-H-N S-M-I-T-H.

What happens all too often:
Teacher: YOU NAME-(what)?
Student: MY NAME J-O-H-N S-M-I-T-H.

After teaching ASL for 30 years over 1,000 minutes of my life have been wasted watching students needlessly sign "MY NAME."

Math: (3.333R seconds) (3 x per semester) (100 students) (2 semesters per year) (30 years)
= approximately 60,000 seconds
= 1,000 minutes

Want to help support ASL University? It's easy: DONATE (Thanks!)
(You don't need a PayPal account. Just look for the credit card logos and click continue.)

Another way to help is to buy something from the ASLU "Bookstore."

Want even more ASL resources? Visit the "ASL Training Center!" (Subscription Extension of ASLU) CHECK IT OUT >

Bandwidth slow? Check out "ASLUniversity.com" (a free mirror of Lifeprint.com less traffic, fast access) VISIT >