Reddit reviews The Book of Name Signs: Naming in American Sign Language
We found 3 Reddit comments about The Book of Name Signs: Naming in American Sign Language. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
We found 3 Reddit comments about The Book of Name Signs: Naming in American Sign Language. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Not really. Name signs have to meet specific linguistic criteria. Sam Supalla wrote The Book of Name Signs which explains how name signs work; someone with limited ASL experience may end up with a name sign that breaks linguistic rules. (Kind of like Mr. Mxyzptlk from the comics, whose name doesn't follow English linguistic rules.)
This book http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0915035308?pc_redir=1405232571&robot_redir=1 will explain everything. The short version is that name signs are a cultural pastime and best to be left to the culture that own it. There are rules, one of which is that a nabe sign can only be given by a person who is deaf. It's also customary to be given a name sign, not to make up your own.
Many people don't follow the rules, but I would rather let a deaf break them, than myself.
A couple of reasons. There are grammatical rules when it comes to sign names in American Sign language that must be followed and also name signs usually consist of a back story or have meaning. Typically if a non deaf person gives themselves a name sign it does not adhere to the grammatical rules of ASL and will also lack cultural meaning.
Here is a link to a great book that details the history and rules of name signs. https://www.amazon.com/Book-Name-Signs-American-Language/dp/0915035308