The sign WITH can be modified to mean many different things. For a more advanced discussion of this sign, and to see signs such as ACCOMPANY, AHEAD, BEHIND, FALL-BEHIND, FOLLOW, CATCH-UP, CHASE, RACE-COMPETE, SUBORDINATE, SUPERIOR, TOGETHER -- visit: "WITH" (advanced discussion)
The sign for "WITH" is
made by forming the letter "a" with both hands. Place both your hands together, palms facing.
WITH / together:
WITH-[long-term/go-steady]:
WITH-[accompany-with/go-with]:
If you hold the "A"
hands together and then make a sweeping horizontal circle (while keeping them
together--looks like you are stirring a witch's brew on Halloween) it shows
"solidarity." As in the group is working together:
Notes:
Rookie mistake: Signing WITH -- during times when you don't need to sign it at all. For example, to sign "I agree with you" -- you just sign "I AGREE YOU." (And nod your head a bit or a lot depending on how much you agree.)
There are many signs related to the sign "WITH." For example, the signs in-front-of, behind, follow, catch-up, chase, fall-behind, accompany, together, go-with, go-steady, race, compete, and subordinate are all variations of the sign "WITH."
For more information, see: "WITH" (advanced discussion)
Also see: SEPARATE
Question:
A student writes: "I have a question about WITH. It looks like
me that the wrists are supposed to touch, but every time I do that, I end up
finding that my hands have to move farther out from my body so I can
comfortably have my wrists touch."
Answer:
Do "not" the wrists while signing WITH. That would veer into starting
to look like one of the versions of ARREST (if the knuckles are separated)
-- as if you are in handcuffs.
For the sign WITH, the heel of the hands "can" touch if you are doing the
sign very carefully and/or with emphasis (like you see me doing in the LP
dictionary) however in fast casual signing you might also see the contact
being made mainly with the intermediate phalanges and the proximal and
distal interphalangeal joints (the second and third knuckles).
However, this conversation is good because it brings up the point that the
sign WITH certainly has a looser, more casual version that is held close to
the body and in which the heels of the hands do not touch. I need to add
that version to my next video session. Thanks.
Rookie mistake: Signing SHOES ( https://youtu.be/Yoi_OLX0IEs ) when you mean WITH ( https://youtu.be/_JfI3DaFB6w ).
