A Grammar of German Sign Language (DGS)

In contrast to common nouns, proper nouns and name signs refer to only one entity or one individual. In DGS, proper nouns are used for cities (berlin, hamburg, munich), for countries and continents (germany, spain, africa), for particular places and town’s landmarks (alexanderplatz, gaenseliesl, elbphilarmonie), but also for brand names (audi). Proper nouns are generally created by following the word formation rules of DGS. However, in some cases a marked handshape that is not part of DGS is used for a proper noun, such as the fist with an extended middle finger (N) for the sign alexanderplatz. This handshape presents a symmetrical reflection of the famous television tower in central Berlin, an extended index finger would be less symmetrical.

Next to indigenous signs for cities and places within Germany, DGS also has proper nouns for other countries, continents, cities and famous monuments in the world (portugal, eiffel_tower, statue_of_liberty). These can be DGS core-lexical signs [Lexicon 1.1.] for the particular country or place, or they can be loan signs coming from the respective foreign sign language. For example, there exist two signs for Poland: an older sign articulated by an index finger describing an arc movement above the upper non-dominant arm, and a younger sign articulated by a flat-C handshape touching the chest on the left and the right side. Whereas the older sign poland(1) is a DGS indigenous sign, the younger sign poland(2) is borrowed from Polish Sign Language.

poland-poland

‘Poland’

DGS core-lexical signs for countries or cities often reflect a traditionally related association with the respective country. However, for reasons of political correctness, these older signs dissolve and the borrowed signs become the more prominent ones. Young signers in the Deaf Community, who are more internationally connected, also have the tendency to use the ‘original’ country sign from the respective foreign sign language, not only for reasons of political correctness, but also out of respect.

Proper nouns for individual persons are called ‘name signs’. Next to official name signs for famous people (such as merkel for Angela Merkel), there are individual name signs for persons, who are part of the signing community. These name signs are often given by Deaf friends, family or colleagues. Names signs in DGS can be given according to a visual prominent physical property of the person’s appearance (such as having curly hair) or according to a characteristic property or a special hobby of the person (such as loving climbing). The name sign can also relate to the persons first or last name (for example, like the shape of the moon for Luna), and often the handshape initializes the first letter of the first name (a sign name with an F-handshape for Frederick) [Lexicon 2.2.1.].Interestingly, in some cases, a name sign can also be a translation of the German word into the DGS sign. A person with the last name Fischer or Schmidt, can thus be given the name sign fish or smith. Even some German first names can be translated to be a name sign: Ernst – serious, Helen – bright, etc. However, name signs are given individually to each person and are not generalized for certain names. Thus, there is not one name sign for the name Peter and not every Helen gets the sign name bright.