ASL Lessons | Bookstore | Library | ASL University Main ►
MINNESOTA: The American Sign Language (ASL) sign for "Minnesota"
Notes:
In 1997, Robert "Bob" Cook, of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Metro Division (DHHSD) of the Minnesota Department of Human Services interviewed Douglas "Doug" Bahl. During that interview Doug shared the etymology (history / development) of the ASL sign for Minneapolis:
"The sign is taken from the sign used for a man named Dean, who attended the school for the Deaf in the 1870's. The school opened in 1863 and he attended through 1870 or so. At that time all of the students came from the surrounding countryside except for one boy who was from Minneapolis. That was a long name to spell each time, so instead, the kids would refer to it as Dean's home town,which was easy to sign. After Dean left the school many of the younger children didn't know who Dean was
so the part about his home town ended up being dropped. But the sign used for Dean's name continued to be affiliated with the city of Minneapolis.
So, historically the sign came from that used for 'Dean's home town' and was changed over time
to the one we use today. It all began with a boy named Dean."
- Doughlas "Doug" Bahl, 1997
Reference:
MN Commission. (2018, August 8). Douglas "Doug" Bahl - Minnesota Deaf Heritage Oral-Visual Interview [Video]. YouTube.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeJ8Ldna_po
Note: Specifically, see the 11:57 section of the video: https://youtu.be/NeJ8Ldna_po?t=714
█
Notes:
index-old.htm
matrix-for-sign-pages (_matrix.htm)
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).
For a list of various ways to donate see: https://www.Lifeprint.com/donate
Another way to help is to buy something from the ASLU "Bookstore."
A must see!: ASL University's YouTube playlist ►
Latest ASLU YouTube upload:
You can learn American Sign Language (ASL) online at American Sign Language University ™
ASL resources by Lifeprint.com © Dr. William Vicars