ASL: PRETTY-GOOD / fairly good / sort of good:
ASL: PRETTY
Topic: "Shared idioms"
Example: The English idiom "pretty good"
Lately I've been thinking about the topic of: "shared idioms" and concept that:
"Two languages can share one or more idioms."
Languages borrow from other languages.
We see various English "idioms" popping up in American Sign Language (ASL).
Some teachers or other ASL signers label such language usage as an "error" --
but I think there is often more to it than that. I think that sometimes the
process of "language borrowing" starts with an error or a misuse of a sign that
sometimes spreads. If the misuse continues to spread it may come to be
considered as "common." If something enters the realm of "common use" it is then
considered "acceptable."
For example we occasionally see the signs "PRETTY" and "GOOD" used to mean "sort
of good" or "fairly well." We even see "some" advanced, native signers and ASL
teachers using the PRETTY GOOD phrase. (Maybe not when a spotlight is cast on
them or when they are feeling scrutinized -- but it does show up on their / our
hands rather often).
If such borrowed phrases "stick" and continue to be used and understood it means
that two languages can have the same idiom (yet you still have to know the
culture and idiosyncrasies of each target language to understand the idiom).
To pursue that line of thinking one has to embrace the idea that "one" of the
ways languages expand and/or evolve is through errors catching on and spreading
until they become common and thus are no-longer errors but rather they become
accepted usage and thus literally the "right way" to say or sign something.
Regarding: "pretty good" (the English phrase) and "PRETTY-GOOD" (the ASL
compound):
We of course have a sign labeled as PRETTY.
And we have a sign labeled as GOOD.
One of the assertions of this thread is that we "do" see "some" Deaf (and other
skilled signers) doing the sign PRETTY before signing GOOD to mean "pretty
good."
There are, of course a variety of ways to sign the English concept of "pretty
good":
1. "pretty good" = GOOD+[mitigating-head-movement]
2. "pretty good" = SORT-of+GOOD
3. "pretty good" = PRETTY+GOOD [idiomatic]
There are those who will say that method three is "wrong."
However, suppose the Deaf Community took a vote and voted that "PRETTY GOOD" was
a fine way to sign the concept of "pretty good"?
Well, a form of voting happens every single time a person signs something. Every
time we see someone in the Deaf Community do a particular sign -- it is "one"
more vote for that sign. At some point there might be so many votes in favor of
a particular sign that it becomes "more normal than not." It may reach a tipping
point and spread to the extent that we could consider the sign as being "the"
sign for a concept.
Notes:
Below are screen-grabs of Dr.
I King Jordan signing "PRETTY-GOOD."
While you can try to argue that he is signing in an "English-like" fashion -- it
is important to note here is that Dr. Jordan is Deaf, was the president of a
Deaf University, is being interviewed by a Deaf person for a production put out
by a Deaf-centered company for a Deaf audience. Does all of that mean that
the compound "PRETTY-GOOD" is right way to sign "pretty good / fairly good /
sort of good"? It really doesn't matter what you and I think about the topic of
the rightness or wrongness of his signing. It is nearly assured that "every" (or
nearly every) fluent ASL signer would recognize and understand what he signed
and what he meant. That is a strong indication that the signs
"PRETTY GOOD" are part of ASL (even if the phrase is scorned or ridiculed by
people who are elitist or prescriptive in their approach to ASL).
Source:
Jordan, I (March 4, 2015) ""Deaf People: Tell Me More" featuring I. King
Jordan," Publisher: Sorenson. Web: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=un0db3DH1j0&feature=youtu.be&t=1197
Source:
Jordan, I (March 4, 2015) ""Deaf People: Tell Me More" featuring I. King
Jordan," Publisher: Sorenson. Web: https://www.youtube(dot)com/watch?v=un0db3DH1j0&feature=youtu.be&t=1197
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