The Sign Language is a system of root _ideas_ expressed by _gestures_,
preferably made only by the hands, without sounds or reference to
letters, or words, spoken or written, and not delimited by anything
corresponding to words. There can be but little doubt that Sign Language
preceded all audible speech.
Being fundamentally a true spontaneous language, wholly removed from any
spoken language, it must necessarily have its own syntax and idiom.
Its syntax is simple and primitive, much like that of spoken language in
its earliest or monosyllabic stage, as defined by Hovelacque. Yet
clearly many signs are amplified by an associated but subsidiary root,
so that we may consider it entering the second or agglutinative stage.
Thus _deer_, signed by holding up the hands to indicate _branching
horns_, is a simple or isolated root; but _white-tailed deer_ which
gives first _deer_, then adds the qualifying sign _banner tail_ by
waving the right index up high, is in close correspondence with
agglutinative language. Still more so are the signs _finished_ or _done_
added to a verb to show the past tense, or the different twists to the
sign _give_ that turns it respectively into _give me_ or _give you_, or
the variations of _talk_ which make it mean _I talk to you_, _you talk
to me_, or _they talk to each other_.
The sentence construction is elemental. Dependent sentences are not used
nor are negative or involved questions.
The relation of one idea to another is indicated chiefly by proximity
and sequence, rarely by connectives and (with a few exceptions) never by
inflection. So that the same sign may be the equivalent of a noun, a
verb, or a phrase, etc., according as it is used.
NOUNS AND PRONOUNS
The =Nominative= and =Objective cases= are not distinguished except by
context and sequence, that is, the Nominative precedes, the Objective
usually follows, the verb.
A partial exception is the first personal pronoun—the starting point of
most inflection—for _I_, _mine_, and _me_ are sometimes given as cognate
but distinctive signs.
The =Possessive case= is usually shown by the addition of the possessive
sign, equivalent to “his,” “hers,” “its,” etc. “That man’s” horse would
be signed: _Man_, _that_, _his horse_, or _Man_, _that there_,
_possession_, _horse_.
The =Gender= of nouns is indicated when necessary by adding the signs
_male_ or _man_ and _female_ or _woman_. Thus “A She bear” would be
rendered _Bear Woman_.
The =Number= of nouns is indicated by the signs 1, 2, 3, 4, etc., _many_
or _few_.
In the Personal Pronouns the plural is made by adding _all_ to the
singular. Thus _Me all_ is the equivalent of “We,” _You all_ of “Ye.”
_He all_ is the equivalent of “they.”
The =Person= by pointing to _myself_, to _you_, or to the _third
person_. The first person is understood unless otherwise indicated.
VERBS
The =Verb= is usually placed between the subject and the object, but
need of emphasis may change this so the verb comes last.
The =Tense= of verbs is marked by the auxiliary prefixes _now_, _future_
and _past_, _finished_ or _done_. Thus “I have eaten” would be _I done
eat_, “I shall eat” will be _I time ahead, eat_.
The present is understood, unless otherwise stated; but the sign is
plastic and may be any part of the verb, according to context. Thus
_Arrange_, _Arranged_, or _Arranging_ are the same.
The =Number= of the verb is shown by the context.
The =Voice= is assumed to be active, indeed the passive is not used.
The =Imperative= is shown by following the verb with the sign _must_,
that is, strike down with right fist, giving the significance of
command, or else by emphasis.
The =Subjunctive= is shown by the signs _if_, _so that_, _perhaps_.
ADJECTIVE AND ADVERB
The =Adjective= usually follows the substantive. Thus “A bad man” would
be rendered _Man bad_. But numerals are exceptions to this rule.
The =Adverb= of time precedes the verb.
Qualities are compared by the use of the signs _little_, _more_, _much_,
_most_, _ahead_, and _behind_. They are further modified by adding such
signs as _strong_, _brave_, _very much_, or _very strong_.
The =Numeral sign= is often prefaced to small numbers to prevent
confusion. Thus when prefaced by the numeral sign the sign _Wolf_ may
become _two_ and _Man_ become _one_.
Mere particles and expletives, as “a” “the,” etc., have no equivalent
signs.
PREPOSITIONS
Prepositions were little used by the Indian sign-talkers, though they
did have _above_, _about_, _across_, _around_, _at_, _below_, _beside_,
_beyond_, _by_, _for_, _from_, _in_, _near_, _on_, _out_, _to_, _under_,
_upon_, _with_, etc. _Of_ or _pertaining to_ has been added by the deaf.
CONJUNCTIONS
_And_ or _also_ (add on) _but_ or _if_ (_pick out_ or _cut off_), _so
that_, _with_ are the equivalents of conjunctions. Sometimes the close
continuity of two signs serves the purpose of “and,” conversely a pause
may indicate a full stop.
INTERROGATION
The sign of interrogation always precedes the question, but is sometimes
added after it as well, for emphasis or certainty.
PERIOD OR FULL STOP
For period, the sign _finished_ is generally used. The Blackfeet make
the sign _broken off_ and often clap the flat right down on the flat
left, palm to palm, for both beginning and end of a sentence.
ABSTRACT IDEAS
Abstract ideas are not copiously rendered in signs. But it often happens
that a gesture with the index alone is specific, while the same gesture
with the flat hand becomes abstract. For example, compare _yonder_ and
_far_, _up_ and _up there_.
OPPOSITION
The principle of opposition as pointed out by Mallery plays an important
part in the pairing of signs. Thus _above_ being fixed, _below_ is the
reverse; the sign _come_ is reversed in _go_, and _out_ reversed in
_in_, etc.
EMPHASIS
Emphasis is sometimes given by using both hands for a sign that can be
made by one, sometimes by repeating the sign, sometimes by energetic
rendering, and sometimes by adding the sign _very much_ or _heap_.
PARALLEL OR DUPLICATE SIGNS
Many signs are made by parallel action of both hands. Most of these are
permissibly rendered by using only one hand as, _woman_, _abandon_,
_gratitude_, etc.
ENUNCIATION OR DELIVERY
In actual and expert practice most signs are abbreviated. But the
beginner, as in all new arts, should go slowly and be careful to make
each sign clear-cut and complete in itself.
The hands are always held or moved so as to illustrate, as far as
possible, the action in mind or its manner, or its direction, or the
point where it takes place, or the shape of an object, or their relative
positions if two objects are being considered.
ELEGANCE
Grace and dignity are of large importance in all good sign-talk. Ugly or
vulgar gestures should be abandoned. Even angular gestures should be
avoided, except to express some angular idea.
Many times my Indian teachers have said to me as I imitated their signs,
“Yes, that is correct enough in a way, but it is awkward”; or “it is not
graceful. We do it this way.” Then they sketched the same structure, but
in sweeping lines. In this work many movements are indicated in straight
lines, for the sake of simplicity. As a matter of fact, I never saw a
Cheyenne make a straight-line movement, all had a graceful curve.
Many signs are followed by a changeable _liaison_; that is, by an
introduced sweep to join it on to the sign that follows and avoid a jerk
or unpleasant movement. This elegant manner is what I call an Indian
accent, few whites achieve it.
In a dignified way, the expression of face and the pose were used in
elucidation of the gesture, but very sparingly.
THE CONCEPT AND ITS VALUE
The student of vocal language finds vital help in remembering the
derivation of words; so also the sign-talker.
Most signs were pantomimic originally, but through much use have become
shortened, till now they are conventional. Yet it is well worth while in
each case to note the original concept as fully as possible; first as a
great help to the memory, and second as a guard against slovenly gesture
and a guarantee of point, power, and structural accuracy. Some of the
concepts given are evidently right, but some are mere guesses, probably
wrong in many cases. It is quite permissible in any one to challenge any
of them.
Nevertheless, the fact that most signs are capable of logical
explanation does not mean that they are self-explanatory. Indeed nearly
all have become conventional, and each must be learned separately before
it can be rightly used.
Signs which make the heart the seat of the mind are, I think, older than
those which give the place of honor to the brain.
THE MANUAL ALPHABET
Although not at all Indian, it is exceedingly helpful to know the
single-hand alphabet as given in the cut on page li; partly because it
must sometimes be used for _giving proper names_ and also because it
saves time in describing _hand positions_. For example, we say “position
A or B” instead of describing each hand all over again for each new
sign.
THE NUMERALS
_Fingers_ and _numbers_ are nearly synonymous the world round when
making signs, manual or written, hence the universality of the decimal
system. The Indian Code, the Popular Code, and the Deaf Code are nearly
alike in this, but in most points of difference the Indian is best.
To prevent mistakes in certain cases preface the number with the sign of
_numbers_ or _arithmetic_.
THE ORDINALS
For Ordinals, make the figure sign, 1, 2, or whatever it is, then
without changing the position of hand or arm, give the hand a twisting
from the wrist, to add point or emphasis, meaning “number-so-and-so.”
This is not Indian but adopted from the Deaf, nevertheless quite
logical.
ILLUSTRATIONS OF SIGN LANGUAGE
Clark gives the following (pp. 17–18) as a good illustration of the
syntax of the Sign Language:
_In English._ “I arrived here to-day to make a treaty—my one hundred
lodges are camped beyond the Black Hills, near the Yellowstone River.
You are a great chief—pity me, I am poor, my five children are sick and
have nothing to eat. The snow is deep and the weather intensely cold.
Perhaps God sees me. I am going. In one month I shall reach my camp.”
_In Signs_, this literally translated would read, I—arrive here—to-day
—to make—treaty. My—hundred—lodge—camp—beyond—Hills—Black—near—river
—called—Elk—you—chief—great—pity me—I—poor—My—five—child—sick—food
—all gone (or wiped out)—Snow—deep—cold—brave (or strong). Perhaps—Chief
Great (or Great Mystery)—above—see—me—I—go. Moon—die—I—arrive there—my
—camp.
“An Indian in closing or terminating a talk or speech wishing to say, ‘I
have finished my speech or conversation,’ or, ‘I have nothing more to
say,’ simply makes the sign for ‘_Done_’ or ‘_Finished_.’”
THE LORD’S PRAYER
FATHER ISADORE’S VERSION
Our Father up high, medicine thy name. Thy sit-aboard down here on
earth as up high. Give us all bread. Forgive our bad as we forgive
bad. Lead us bad not. Ended.
Professor Elmer D. Read has supplied me with the foregoing two examples
done into the Sign Language of the deaf, as below:
I—came—here—to-day—make—agreement (think parallel)—name (written).
My—1 C (100) tents—beyond—B-l-a-c-k H-i-l-l-s, near
Y-e-l-l-o-w-s-t-o-n-e water flow. You—most—chief, feel—tender—me.
I—ragged sleeve (poor). My—five—children (sign size)—sick—nothing—eat.
Snow—deep. Weather (air, wind)—very cold. Perhaps—God—look down on
(see) me. I—go. In—one—month—I—shall—arrive—tents—home (eat, sleep).
The Lord’s Prayer in Deaf Signs:
Our—Father—sky—into.
Honored—thy—name—truly.
Thy—kingdom—come;
Thy—law—do—on—earth—as—in—sky.
Give—us—our—bread—daily.
Forgive—us—our—lawbreaking—as—we—forgive—those—injure—us.
Lead—us—not—in—temptation,
But—save (break our tied hands)—us—from—lawbreaking.
Because—thine—kingdom, power, and—glory—forever.
Amen.
PICTURE-WRITING
As already noted, a weakness of Sign Language is the difficulty of
writing it without translating it into words, and thereby changing its
nature and its world-wide application. Yet it can be written; and some
mention of its recorded form may fitly round out this introduction.
The characters used, because they represent ideas, not words or letters,
are called ideographs or picture-writing. It is widely believed that
Sign Language is the oldest of all languages, that indeed it existed
among animals before man appeared on earth. It is universally accepted
that the ideograph is the oldest of all writing. The Chinese writing,
for instance, is merely picture-writing done with as few lines as
possible.
Thus, it is said that their curious character for _Hearing_ was once a
complete picture of a person listening behind a screen, but in time it
was reduced by hasty hands to a few scratches; and _War_, now a few
spider marks, was originally a sketch of _Two women in one house_.
We may also record our Sign Language in picture-writing, as was the
custom of many Indian tribes; and we shall find it worth while for
several reasons: it is picturesque and useful for decoration; and it is
likely that a pictographic inscription dug up 10,000 years from now
would be read, whether our language was understood or not.[3]
When the French Government set up the Obelisk of Luxor, in Paris, and
wished to inscribe it for all time, they made record, not in French or
Latin, but in pictographs.
It is, moreover, a good thing to take the young through the stages of
race development; just as the young bird must run for a send-off, before
it flies, so pictography, being its earliest form, is the natural first
step to writing.
In this dictionary I give the written form after many of the signs that
have an established pictograph. These are chiefly from Mallery, 10th
Annual Report Bureau of American Ethnology. A few are popularly accepted
among ourselves.
NOTE
The letters, initials, etc., after the paragraphs indicate the chief
authority for the sign.
Where no authority is given, it means that the sign was observed by
myself among the Cheyenne Indians. Those ascribed to other Indians also
were observed by myself. Besides these the following are cited:
_C._ Standing for Captain William Philo Clark, U. S. A.
_Scott_, for General Hugh L. Scott, U. S. A.
_Seger_, for John M. Seger, of Colony, Oklahoma.
_R. B._, for Robert Burns, the Cheyenne interpreter at Concho, Oklahoma.
_Long_, for Major Stephen H. Long, U. S. A.
_Pop._ for Popular; that is, established among ourselves.
_D._ for Deaf Sign, as given in J. Schuyler Long’s Dictionary.
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
The drawing shows the hands as seen by the second person.
The digits are named: thumb, first or index finger, second or middle
finger, third or ring-finger, and fourth or little finger.
The following marks, etc., are used in the illustrations:
Unless otherwise stated the _solid outline_ indicates the position of
the hands at the beginning of a sign, the _dotted outlines_ indicate the
position of the hands at the finish.
................ Dotted lines indicate the course of hand employed in
the sign.
> Indicates the commencement point of the movement.
→ Indicates the direction of movement.
X Indicates the point in the gesture line at which the hand position is
(x) changed.
⊙ Or full stop represents the termination of the movement.
“A hand” means like A, and “B hand” means like B, etc., in the
one-handed Deaf Alphabet (Cut 1) on next page. The positions meant by “4
hand,” “5 hand,” “flat hand,” “flat fist,” or “compressed hand,” are
figured on the same page.
Begin by learning the Single-hand Manual alphabet as noted above.
Next learn the _Numbers_ and the signs for _Question_ and its
combinations; also _Yes_ and _No_, _Good_ and _Bad_, _Come_ and _Go_,
_Big_ and _Small_, _Truth_ and _Lie_, _Strong_ and _Weak_, _Understand_,
_Perhaps_, _Talk_ and _Sign-talk_, after this refer to the Dictionary
for the signs that serve your purpose and use them according to the
rules of syntax as herein set forth.
Never lose a chance of talking the Sign Language with an old Plains
Indian, preferably of the Cheyenne or Arapahoe tribes. Their wonderful
facility and grace are as hard to convey on paper as the pronunciation
of French, and are as essential for the best style in Sign Talk. One
may, indeed, know every sign in this book and not be a good sign-talker,
so fundamental is this correct accent, or manner.
[Illustration]
Footnotes
[1] Professor Elmer D. Read writes me that all of these are in use among
the deaf also, except the signs for “shame” and “church”; for these they
make the Indian signs “_red_” and “_house prayer_,” respectively.
[2] “After going carefully over your syntax I approve it in the main but
I think it quite likely that many of the rules are not so inflexible as
this makes them seem; besides which, there must be always a certain
amount of modification by transliteration from the spoken language of
those using the signs. This would manifest itself in a growing
conformity of the Sign Language syntax to that of the more dominant
spoken language.”—_F. W. Hodge (Ethnologist, Smithsonian Institution)._
[3] Since the above was written, I have come across L. F. Hadley’s
pictographic writing of the Sign Language, fully set forth in the
bibliographical matter. E. T. S.
SIGN TALK
_A Universal Signal Code, Without Apparatus, for Use in the Army, the
Navy, Camping, Hunting, Daily Life and Among the Plains Indians_
SIGN TALK OF THE AMERICAN INDIANS
BY ERNEST THOMPSON SETON
_“A hand,” “G hand,” “flat hand” etc., mean like “A,” “G,” “flat,” etc.,
on page li._
A
[Illustration]
=Abandon=, =Give It up= (Thrown away, chucked). Hold both S hands, backs
up, near left breast, briskly swing both down to left side, opening them
with a snap and giving a slight rebound to the hands after the movement,
as though emphatically throwing away something. Sometimes only one hand
is used. Compare _Bad_, _Hate_, and _Charge_. See _Divorce_.
Fr. _abandonner_; Ger. _aufgeben_.
=Able.= See _Can_.
[Illustration]
=Aboard= (Sitting down on). Left hand out flat, palm up, right S hand on
it, thumb up. Compare _Sit down_.
Fr. _à bord_; Ger. _an Bord_.
[Illustration]
=About= or =Around=. Hold the flat left hand pointing forward, up and to
the right, encircle it several times with the right G finger. If
possible, make it concrete by indicating the very thing that was
encircled.
Fr. _autour_; Ger. _um_ ... _herum_.
=About=, in the sense of _Near by_ or _Almost_. See _Close_.
[Illustration]
=Above= or =Over= (One thing above another). Bring the flat left hand,
back up, in front of and a little to the left of body; left forearm
horizontal, fingers pointing to right and front; bring the flat right
hand, back up over the left in a semi-circle upward large or small, as
best suggests the actual distance. Has been used for _More than_.
Compare _Beyond_.
Fr. _au-dessus_; Ger. _über_.
(=Below= is the reverse of this.)
=Absent.= See _Empty_.
[Illustration]
=Abuse= to =Scold= or =Defame= (Throwing lies against one). Hold the
right V hand near the mouth, pointing to left. Jerk it forward toward
person once or twice. For =Abusing me= make the sign lower opposite the
left breast and inward toward one’s self.
Fr. _calomnier_, _injurier_; Ger. _schmähen_, _beschimpfen_.
=Accident.= See _Free_, also _Luck_.
[Illustration]
=Ache= or =Pain=. Thrust G finger many times in different directions
over and parallel to the part. Compare _Wound_ and _Sick_.
Fr. _la douleur_; Ger. _der Schmerz_.
[Illustration]
=Across=, =Cross=, or =Over= (Crossing a ridge). Hold the flat left hand
out, palm down, and pointing forward and toward the right, pass the flat
right hand edgewise across the back of the left. If but one person is
meant, the right G is sometimes used. This sign as illustrated is often
used for _Council_. See _Council_ and _Laws_.
Fr. _d’un côté à l’autre_, _traverser_; Ger. _hinüber_.
[Illustration]
=Act=, as in a theatre play. Hold A hands in front perpendicularly, move
up and down alternately as though the thumbs were two puppets. (Deaf
sign, not used or understood by Indians.) Compare _Play_ and _Follow_.
=Act=, as in a play. Sign _Face_, _Two_, _Dance_ (that is dancing with a
mask) (not established).
Fr. _jouer_; Ger. _spielen_.
=Act= or =Deed=. See _Work_.
[Illustration]
=Add to= (Piling up). Flat left hand pointing to the right and front,
palm up, forearm horizontal; the palm of flat right hand is placed on
top of left hand a number of times, the left hand being raised a couple
of inches each time, to meet it; the movement ends with left hand as
high as top of the head. Often it is done as in the illustration but
with palm of left down.
=Adjectives=, see _Comparative_.
=Adulation.= Kissing the back of the hand. (Pop.) Not Indian, but they
understand it now. (R. B.)
Fr. _la flatterie_; Ger. _die Schmeichelei_.
[Illustration]
=Advance.= Both flat hands back up, pointing forward, tandem, right in
advance, six inches ahead (the fingers extended) moved forward together
in gentle jerks. Compare _Move camp_.
Fr. _avancer_; Ger. _vorschreiten_.
[Illustration]
=Advance Guard= (The one ahead, looking). Flat left hand back up,
pointing forward, breast high; place G right just before it, then turn
right G into V to mean _Looking_. Also used for _Scout_. Compare
_Ahead_.
Fr. _l’avant-garde_; Ger. _die Vorhut_.
=Advise= or =Advice=. Sign _Talk_, _Make_, _Way_. (C) Sign _Help_ and
_Talk_ would be near it.
Fr. _conseiller_; Ger. _raten_.
[Illustration]
=Afraid= (Shaking heart). Sign _Heart_ then shake it up and down two or
three times, to indicate the throbbing action of the heart under
influence of fear. Or more strongly, sign _Heart_ and then finish by
raising the hand until its back strikes the chin, to mean the heart
rises in the throat.
Fr. _effrayé_; Ger. _ängstlich_.
[Illustration]
=Afraid= or =Cowardly= (Seger says this means Buffalo backing out of
fight; that is, “drawing in his horns.”) Hold out both G hands level,
backs out, G fingers hooked like horns, draw them straight back together
for six inches. Mostly but one hand is used. Compare _Bring_.
Fr. _lâche_, _poltron_; Ger. _feige_.
=Afraid of no one.= Point right G in several directions, then add
_Afraid_, _Not_.
Fr. _peur de personne_; Ger. _vor niemand Angst haben_.
[Illustration]
=After=, =Behind=, or =Late= (Time or space). G fingers pointing forward
at an angle in front of body; left in advance. Draw the right over and
behind the left. Draw it back a little way for a _little bit after_; but
far back and low down for _a long way behind_. Some finish by clenching
the right hand.
If it meant that _one_ is behind _the rest_, use the flat left hand,
palm down, in advance, with right G behind.
Fr. _après_; Ger. _hinter_, _nach_.
[Illustration]
=Afternoon.= Make a circle of right thumb and index and sweep it over
the afternoon half of the sky from the zenith down. Compare _Sunset_.
Fr. _l’après-midi_; Ger. _der Nachmittag_.
=Again.= See _Repeat_ or _More_.
=Against=, i.e., =Go Against=. Thrust the tips of the flat right, back
out, square against the palm of the flat left held pointing level
forward, back to left. See also _Oppose_. Compare _Quandary_.
Fr. _contre_; Ger. _wider_.
=Agent, Indian.= Sign _Whiteman_ and _Chief, Give all_. The Southern
Cheyennes sign _Chief_ and _pull teeth_, because their first agent had
false upper teeth.
=Agitate.= See _Excite_.
=Agree.= Sign _You_, _I_, _think_, _same_. Sometimes use _Equal_. See
also _Treaty_.
Fr. _s’accorder_; Ger. _übereinstimmen_.
=Agreement.= See _Treaty_.
[Illustration]
=Ago=, =Time back=, =Past=, or =Back=. Sign _Time_ and point back over
the right shoulder with right finger G. Sometimes the thumb or the whole
hand is used instead of the index. See _Back_.
Fr. _passé_, _il y a quelque temps_; Ger. _vorher_, _früher_.
[Illustration]
=Ahead= or =Before= (In time). Hold out the left G pointing forward and
up; swing the right G over the left to a place in front of it, both
pointing the same way. Some finish by closing and lowering the right
fist. Compare _After_.