A Grammar of German Sign Language (DGS)

The handshapes of the manual alphabet represent letters of the Latin alphabet. In DGS, at least partially, these handshapes imitate the forms of the letters, e.g. C, D, I, and O. In contrast, the manual alphabet signs B, G, and S are examples without a direct resemblance. In DGS, 25 alphabet signs are articulated with a handshape without a movement and five alphabet signs are articulated with a handshape combined with a movement (J, Z, Ä, Ö, and Ü). Some alphabet signs solely differ in their orientation: U – H, K – P, and G – D.

Not every handshape of the manual alphabet occurs in a lexical sign in DGS. For example, the M-handshape and the N-handshape are not used as lexical components. Moreover, there are handshapes in lexical signs in DGS which have no counterpart in the manual alphabet. In DGS, the manual alphabet is not frequently used for the creation of signs. It is mainly used for the explanation of unknown signs (e.g. foreign words, technical terms, proper names) or nonexistent signs and abbreviations. Overall, the manual alphabet is used rather scarcely in DGS.

Manual alphabet

 

 

 

 

With respect to number signs in DGS, the following basic rule is crucial: The handshape indicates the number. For the numbers from one to five, the dominant hand counts starting with the thumb through to the pinkie finger. For the numbers from six to ten, the non-dominant hand functions as a placeholder for the number five and the dominant hand continues with counting.

Within the numbers one to ten, the hand is orientated with the palm towards the torso. In some dialects, the numbers eleven (and twelve) are articulated with a rotation of the wrist: the sign starts with palm orientation towards the bottom and changes towards signer's torso.The numbers from twenty to ninety are performed with the same handshape as the numbers two to nine and the palm orientation is the same as in the numbers one to nine but in combination with a reduplicated secondary movement in the form of a change in degree of flection. The numbers two hundred, three hundred, four hundred etc. are also signed with the same handshape as the numbers two to nine but in combination with another hand orientation. The number one hundred is articulated with the index finger instead of the thumb used within number one. From six hundred to nine hundred, the palms of the dominant and non-dominant hand face each other. The path movement of the numbers one hundred to nine hundred is specified as a straight downward movement in the neutral signing space. The numbers one two thousand, three thousand etc. are also articulated with the same handshape as the numbers two to nine. In these cases, the palm is orientated away from the body towards the addressee. The straight path movement is performed from the contra-lateral side (= side of the non-dominant hand) to the ipsi-lateral side (= side of the dominant hand). The number one thousand is articulated with the index finger instead of the thumb used within number one. The numbers in DGS show high dialectal variation.

a. 1-10     

                     

 

b. 11-19   

                     

 

c. 20, 30, 40, 50, …- 90    

 

   

 

d. 100, 200, 300, ...- 900       

 

 

Repdigits like 22 and 44 may be articulated by the respective single digits next to each other.

22   

     

 

44   

     

 

Ordinals are signed with a rotation of the wrist. This is only possible for ordinals from first to tenth.

1. - 10.