Dr. Bill's Notes:
While there is a handshape that
represents the fingerspelled letter "A" it is important to realize that American
Sign Language doesn't use the English letter "A" as a word the same way it is
used in spoken or written English.
Let's consider for a moment the difference in English between the words "a" and
"the."
When we use the word "a" in a sentence in English it tends to be so we can
introduce a previously unidentified concept into the conversation.
For example, if I use the phrase "a cat" then I'm probably bringing up the topic
of a previously unidentified cat.
If I use the phrase "the cat" it generally means I'm referring to a previously
identified cat.
Thus "a" and "the" are "reference" words. We use them to refer to a topic in
this case, "a cat."
In ASL to refer to a previously unidentified cat you would not use the
fingerspelled letter "A" but instead you might sign:
I NOTICE NEW CAT...
NEW CAT show-UP ...
HAPPEN STRANGE CAT ...
CAT I NEVER SEE BEFORE ...
CAT I not-YET SEE ...
CAT I DON'T-KNOW ...
SOMETHING CAT ...
So we can see that to express the concept of "a" in ASL we would use one of the
following signs or a similar approach:
SOMETHING
STRANGE
DON'T-KNOW
INVENTED / "came up with" / "created or made up in the mind"
NEW
To express the concept of "the" as in "the woman," we would use phrases such as:
INDEX-(point) WOMAN
THAT WOMAN
(Directional head-thrust) WOMAN
[Location of WOMAN] (We establish the idea that there is a woman a certain
location and then refer to that location as if the woman were there. For
example, we mention that there is "a" woman. Then immediately after that we
point our index finger to a some direction in space (usually off to our dominant
side) and make a comment of some sort. It is understood that we are referring to
"the woman" as if we were actually pointing at her. We can even do certain
directional verbs (indicating verbs) such as GIVE in the direction of the
location where the woman is "established" and the sign GIVE will take on the
meaning of "give it to the woman" or a similar meaning.
A-[grade]
For fun I wandered into Bee's office and ask, "YOU KNOW GRADE?
B-[grade], C-[grade]? HOW YOU SIGN "A"?
She responded by signing: A-[grade]-[version: thumb side to nd-palm]
In other words she does the sign for A grade not palm to palm but
rather "thumb-side" of dominant hand to nd-palm.
I'd like to mention that the dominant-palm-side-A-to-palm version is
very well respected (it shows up in videos from many years ago) but
perhaps the
palm-side-A-to-palm version
becoming less dominant over the years as more and more ASL
instructors who did not attend Deaf schools nor Gallaudet university
teach ASL. Or maybe it is an "east" "west" thing? Since I usually
see the "side of the thumb-side to palm" version of "A" here in the
west.
In other words I believe we are seeing language evolution at work on
the A-grade sign.
However, I think it is safe to
say that the A-grade sign is not a "back of A-hand" to nd-palm. That
sort of extreme twist just doesn't tend to be used in common
everyday signing. It simply isn't efficient.
[asl101/topics/adsense4.htm]