GlossingWhat is it?

Historically there was no written form for ASL.

Only recently has ASL become a written language, though this system has not yet gained acceptance with all signers.

Since ASL is not written, Deaf people have relied on the written formats of the spoken languages used around them.

A Deaf person in the United States signs in ASL but writes in English.

Over the years a written system has been developed by ASL teachers and researchers to translate signs into a basic form of English, this system is called glossing.

Using one language to write another has its limitations but doing so can be a quick way to convey concepts.

The first step is translating each sign into an English equivalent.

English Sentence:What is your name?

ASL Gloss:YOU NAME WHAT YOU?

Each glossed word is always written in capitalized letters.

YOU DO…

Practice glossing one-word glosses:

1. Hello

2. Yes

3. Name

4. Tired

5. Deaf

6. Nice

7. Understand

8. Friend

9. Fine

10.Good

Many signs can’t be glossed using just one English word. Use hyphens between each segment to show a single concept.Example: GIVE-MEExample: DON’T-KNOW

You Do…Practice glossing the signed words

Before glossing a fingerspelled word you will write “fs-” you capitalize the fingerspelled term but not the “fs-”Example: fs-BUSExample: fs-JOHN

Using the index finger to point to a person, place, or thing is called deixis.

Abbreviate this with IX, and follow with another gloss or name of person to whom you are pointing.

You can also add he, she, or it in lower-case letters after IX. Example: IX-MomExample: IX-heExample: IX-fs-JILL

You Do…Practice signing the following glosses:

ME NAME fs-SARA. IX-he NAME fs-SEAN IX-he.

IX-she LEARN SIGN-LANGUAGE IX-she. IX-he WANT MEET YOU IX LAST NAME fs-COOPER IX. fs-MARC DEAF. IX-he MY FRIEND IX-he. IX-she NAME fs-TARA IX-she. IX HARD-OF-HEARING IX. IX-he BUSY IX-he. IX-she NAME fs-RITA IX-she. IX SICK IX.

You Do…Practice glossing the following sentences.He is Deaf.She is MaryHe is confused.She is Kelly.He is hearing.

Glossing classifiers requires two parts. Gloss the classifier with “CL:” then add the concept described by the classifier in English.Example: CL :Bent V “person sitting down”

You Do…

Practice glossing the following.Motorcycle on a bumpy road.Walking upstairsYesterday you got in a car accidentWalking awayTwo people walking towards you.

When there are two or more parts to a single sign, use a + between each sign. Example: SUN+SHINEExample: MLK+DAY

We Do…

Possessive signs like his, hers, its, and theirs have “POSS-” written before the sign.Example: POSS-hers

Her book.My favoriteHis birthday is in FebruaryIs this water yours?

Non-manual signals formed by the eyebrows, head, and lips must be included.

First, draw a line above the glossed sentence, followed by specific descriptions for the non-manual signal written above the glossed term that uses the NMS.

___confused___ Example: ME DON’T-KNOW

When the same NMS is used throughout a sentence, such as the WH-Face or the Question Maker, write the NMS at the beginning and end of the sentence.

wh whExample: YOU NAME WHAT YOU?

You Do…Practice glossing WH Questions:

Where?What?You live where?Who?You?

Raising they eyebrows to ask a yes/no question is written with a q over the gloss.

_q_Example: YOUWH questions are shown by writing wh or whq

over the gloss.

_whq_Example: WHERE

Write above the gloss the word mouthed by the lips for signs that have non-manual signals attached to them.

__cha__Example: CL:CLAW

We Do…Gloss the following adding Non-Manual Signals

Don’tDon’t UnderstandHiMadQuestionYesNice to meet youAre you Kris?

You Do…Insert the appropriate Non-Manual Signals into each glossed sentence:WEEKEND DO-DO YOU?YOU fs-CHRIS HUH?TURN-OFF-VOICENO ME-NOT HEARING ME-NOTYOU HUNGRY HUH?

Use the ++ symbol for the signs that are repeated or show a recurring action.Example: MEET-MANY-PEOPLE++

Approach glossing as a labeling exercise: Label only what is signed and its corresponding non-manual signals.

Avoid adding English words that are not signed, like is and are.