Part 3

It was with this in view that the French and German equivalents were added after each sign; and since it is impossible to render in one word a sign that stands for a broad idea and is capable of conveying many meanings, according to the context and sense, the foreign equivalents are understood to deal only with the simplest root idea, that which usually is expressed by the first of the English words given.

It is my earnest hope that we may have an International Society of the Sign Language whose functions would be to keep it pure, to add new signs as they are needed, and to aim at its complete development.

Also, that in furtherance of this a thorough, full, and careful record of the old Indian Sign Language will be made before it is too late; that is, before all the old-time Indians of the Plains are dead.

My own effort is meant not as a record of the past, but a starting point for the future.

SYNTAX OF THE SIGN LANGUAGE[2]

The Sign Language is a system of root _ideas_ expressed by _gestures_, preferably made only by the hands, without sounds or reference to letters, or words, spoken or written, and not delimited by anything corresponding to words. There can be but little doubt that Sign Language preceded all audible speech.

Being fundamentally a true spontaneous language, wholly removed from any spoken language, it must necessarily have its own syntax and idiom.

Its syntax is simple and primitive, much like that of spoken language in its earliest or monosyllabic stage, as defined by Hovelacque. Yet clearly many signs are amplified by an associated but subsidiary root, so that we may consider it entering the second or agglutinative stage. Thus _deer_, signed by holding up the hands to indicate _branching horns_, is a simple or isolated root; but _white-tailed deer_ which gives first _deer_, then adds the qualifying sign _banner tail_ by waving the right index up high, is in close correspondence with agglutinative language. Still more so are the signs _finished_ or _done_ added to a verb to show the past tense, or the different twists to the sign _give_ that turns it respectively into _give me_ or _give you_, or the variations of _talk_ which make it mean _I talk to you_, _you talk to me_, or _they talk to each other_.

The sentence construction is elemental. Dependent sentences are not used nor are negative or involved questions.

The relation of one idea to another is indicated chiefly by proximity and sequence, rarely by connectives and (with a few exceptions) never by inflection. So that the same sign may be the equivalent of a noun, a verb, or a phrase, etc., according as it is used.

NOUNS AND PRONOUNS

The =Nominative= and =Objective cases= are not distinguished except by context and sequence, that is, the Nominative precedes, the Objective usually follows, the verb.

A partial exception is the first personal pronoun—the starting point of most inflection—for _I_, _mine_, and _me_ are sometimes given as cognate but distinctive signs.

The =Possessive case= is usually shown by the addition of the possessive sign, equivalent to “his,” “hers,” “its,” etc. “That man’s” horse would be signed: _Man_, _that_, _his horse_, or _Man_, _that there_, _possession_, _horse_.

The =Gender= of nouns is indicated when necessary by adding the signs _male_ or _man_ and _female_ or _woman_. Thus “A She bear” would be rendered _Bear Woman_.

The =Number= of nouns is indicated by the signs 1, 2, 3, 4, etc., _many_ or _few_.

In the Personal Pronouns the plural is made by adding _all_ to the singular. Thus _Me all_ is the equivalent of “We,” _You all_ of “Ye.” _He all_ is the equivalent of “they.”

The =Person= by pointing to _myself_, to _you_, or to the _third person_. The first person is understood unless otherwise indicated.

VERBS

The =Verb= is usually placed between the subject and the object, but need of emphasis may change this so the verb comes last.

The =Tense= of verbs is marked by the auxiliary prefixes _now_, _future_ and _past_, _finished_ or _done_. Thus “I have eaten” would be _I done eat_, “I shall eat” will be _I time ahead, eat_.

The present is understood, unless otherwise stated; but the sign is plastic and may be any part of the verb, according to context. Thus _Arrange_, _Arranged_, or _Arranging_ are the same.

The =Number= of the verb is shown by the context.

The =Voice= is assumed to be active, indeed the passive is not used.

The =Imperative= is shown by following the verb with the sign _must_, that is, strike down with right fist, giving the significance of command, or else by emphasis.

The =Subjunctive= is shown by the signs _if_, _so that_, _perhaps_.

ADJECTIVE AND ADVERB

The =Adjective= usually follows the substantive. Thus “A bad man” would be rendered _Man bad_. But numerals are exceptions to this rule.

The =Adverb= of time precedes the verb.

Qualities are compared by the use of the signs _little_, _more_, _much_, _most_, _ahead_, and _behind_. They are further modified by adding such signs as _strong_, _brave_, _very much_, or _very strong_.

The =Numeral sign= is often prefaced to small numbers to prevent confusion. Thus when prefaced by the numeral sign the sign _Wolf_ may become _two_ and _Man_ become _one_.

Mere particles and expletives, as “a” “the,” etc., have no equivalent signs.

PREPOSITIONS

Prepositions were little used by the Indian sign-talkers, though they did have _above_, _about_, _across_, _around_, _at_, _below_, _beside_, _beyond_, _by_, _for_, _from_, _in_, _near_, _on_, _out_, _to_, _under_, _upon_, _with_, etc. _Of_ or _pertaining to_ has been added by the deaf.

CONJUNCTIONS

_And_ or _also_ (add on) _but_ or _if_ (_pick out_ or _cut off_), _so that_, _with_ are the equivalents of conjunctions. Sometimes the close continuity of two signs serves the purpose of “and,” conversely a pause may indicate a full stop.

INTERROGATION

The sign of interrogation always precedes the question, but is sometimes added after it as well, for emphasis or certainty.

PERIOD OR FULL STOP

For period, the sign _finished_ is generally used. The Blackfeet make the sign _broken off_ and often clap the flat right down on the flat left, palm to palm, for both beginning and end of a sentence.

ABSTRACT IDEAS

Abstract ideas are not copiously rendered in signs. But it often happens that a gesture with the index alone is specific, while the same gesture with the flat hand becomes abstract. For example, compare _yonder_ and _far_, _up_ and _up there_.

OPPOSITION

The principle of opposition as pointed out by Mallery plays an important part in the pairing of signs. Thus _above_ being fixed, _below_ is the reverse; the sign _come_ is reversed in _go_, and _out_ reversed in _in_, etc.

EMPHASIS

Emphasis is sometimes given by using both hands for a sign that can be made by one, sometimes by repeating the sign, sometimes by energetic rendering, and sometimes by adding the sign _very much_ or _heap_.

PARALLEL OR DUPLICATE SIGNS

Many signs are made by parallel action of both hands. Most of these are permissibly rendered by using only one hand as, _woman_, _abandon_, _gratitude_, etc.

ENUNCIATION OR DELIVERY

In actual and expert practice most signs are abbreviated. But the beginner, as in all new arts, should go slowly and be careful to make each sign clear-cut and complete in itself.

The hands are always held or moved so as to illustrate, as far as possible, the action in mind or its manner, or its direction, or the point where it takes place, or the shape of an object, or their relative positions if two objects are being considered.

ELEGANCE

Grace and dignity are of large importance in all good sign-talk. Ugly or vulgar gestures should be abandoned. Even angular gestures should be avoided, except to express some angular idea.

Many times my Indian teachers have said to me as I imitated their signs, “Yes, that is correct enough in a way, but it is awkward”; or “it is not graceful. We do it this way.” Then they sketched the same structure, but in sweeping lines. In this work many movements are indicated in straight lines, for the sake of simplicity. As a matter of fact, I never saw a Cheyenne make a straight-line movement, all had a graceful curve.

Many signs are followed by a changeable _liaison_; that is, by an introduced sweep to join it on to the sign that follows and avoid a jerk or unpleasant movement. This elegant manner is what I call an Indian accent, few whites achieve it.

In a dignified way, the expression of face and the pose were used in elucidation of the gesture, but very sparingly.

THE CONCEPT AND ITS VALUE

The student of vocal language finds vital help in remembering the derivation of words; so also the sign-talker.

Most signs were pantomimic originally, but through much use have become shortened, till now they are conventional. Yet it is well worth while in each case to note the original concept as fully as possible; first as a great help to the memory, and second as a guard against slovenly gesture and a guarantee of point, power, and structural accuracy. Some of the concepts given are evidently right, but some are mere guesses, probably wrong in many cases. It is quite permissible in any one to challenge any of them.

Nevertheless, the fact that most signs are capable of logical explanation does not mean that they are self-explanatory. Indeed nearly all have become conventional, and each must be learned separately before it can be rightly used.

Signs which make the heart the seat of the mind are, I think, older than those which give the place of honor to the brain.

THE MANUAL ALPHABET

Although not at all Indian, it is exceedingly helpful to know the single-hand alphabet as given in the cut on page li; partly because it must sometimes be used for _giving proper names_ and also because it saves time in describing _hand positions_. For example, we say “position A or B” instead of describing each hand all over again for each new sign.

THE NUMERALS

_Fingers_ and _numbers_ are nearly synonymous the world round when making signs, manual or written, hence the universality of the decimal system. The Indian Code, the Popular Code, and the Deaf Code are nearly alike in this, but in most points of difference the Indian is best.

To prevent mistakes in certain cases preface the number with the sign of _numbers_ or _arithmetic_.

THE ORDINALS

For Ordinals, make the figure sign, 1, 2, or whatever it is, then without changing the position of hand or arm, give the hand a twisting from the wrist, to add point or emphasis, meaning “number-so-and-so.” This is not Indian but adopted from the Deaf, nevertheless quite logical.

ILLUSTRATIONS OF SIGN LANGUAGE

Clark gives the following (pp. 17–18) as a good illustration of the syntax of the Sign Language:

_In English._ “I arrived here to-day to make a treaty—my one hundred lodges are camped beyond the Black Hills, near the Yellowstone River. You are a great chief—pity me, I am poor, my five children are sick and have nothing to eat. The snow is deep and the weather intensely cold. Perhaps God sees me. I am going. In one month I shall reach my camp.”

_In Signs_, this literally translated would read, I—arrive here—to-day —to make—treaty. My—hundred—lodge—camp—beyond—Hills—Black—near—river —called—Elk—you—chief—great—pity me—I—poor—My—five—child—sick—food —all gone (or wiped out)—Snow—deep—cold—brave (or strong). Perhaps—Chief Great (or Great Mystery)—above—see—me—I—go. Moon—die—I—arrive there—my —camp.

“An Indian in closing or terminating a talk or speech wishing to say, ‘I have finished my speech or conversation,’ or, ‘I have nothing more to say,’ simply makes the sign for ‘_Done_’ or ‘_Finished_.’”

THE LORD’S PRAYER

FATHER ISADORE’S VERSION

Our Father up high, medicine thy name. Thy sit-aboard down here on earth as up high. Give us all bread. Forgive our bad as we forgive bad. Lead us bad not. Ended.

Professor Elmer D. Read has supplied me with the foregoing two examples done into the Sign Language of the deaf, as below:

I—came—here—to-day—make—agreement (think parallel)—name (written). My—1 C (100) tents—beyond—B-l-a-c-k H-i-l-l-s, near Y-e-l-l-o-w-s-t-o-n-e water flow. You—most—chief, feel—tender—me. I—ragged sleeve (poor). My—five—children (sign size)—sick—nothing—eat. Snow—deep. Weather (air, wind)—very cold. Perhaps—God—look down on (see) me. I—go. In—one—month—I—shall—arrive—tents—home (eat, sleep).

The Lord’s Prayer in Deaf Signs:

Our—Father—sky—into. Honored—thy—name—truly. Thy—kingdom—come; Thy—law—do—on—earth—as—in—sky. Give—us—our—bread—daily. Forgive—us—our—lawbreaking—as—we—forgive—those—injure—us. Lead—us—not—in—temptation, But—save (break our tied hands)—us—from—lawbreaking. Because—thine—kingdom, power, and—glory—forever. Amen.

PICTURE-WRITING

As already noted, a weakness of Sign Language is the difficulty of writing it without translating it into words, and thereby changing its nature and its world-wide application. Yet it can be written; and some mention of its recorded form may fitly round out this introduction.

The characters used, because they represent ideas, not words or letters, are called ideographs or picture-writing. It is widely believed that Sign Language is the oldest of all languages, that indeed it existed among animals before man appeared on earth. It is universally accepted that the ideograph is the oldest of all writing. The Chinese writing, for instance, is merely picture-writing done with as few lines as possible.

Thus, it is said that their curious character for _Hearing_ was once a complete picture of a person listening behind a screen, but in time it was reduced by hasty hands to a few scratches; and _War_, now a few spider marks, was originally a sketch of _Two women in one house_.

We may also record our Sign Language in picture-writing, as was the custom of many Indian tribes; and we shall find it worth while for several reasons: it is picturesque and useful for decoration; and it is likely that a pictographic inscription dug up 10,000 years from now would be read, whether our language was understood or not.[3]

When the French Government set up the Obelisk of Luxor, in Paris, and wished to inscribe it for all time, they made record, not in French or Latin, but in pictographs.

It is, moreover, a good thing to take the young through the stages of race development; just as the young bird must run for a send-off, before it flies, so pictography, being its earliest form, is the natural first step to writing.

In this dictionary I give the written form after many of the signs that have an established pictograph. These are chiefly from Mallery, 10th Annual Report Bureau of American Ethnology. A few are popularly accepted among ourselves.

NOTE

The letters, initials, etc., after the paragraphs indicate the chief authority for the sign.

Where no authority is given, it means that the sign was observed by myself among the Cheyenne Indians. Those ascribed to other Indians also were observed by myself. Besides these the following are cited:

_C._ Standing for Captain William Philo Clark, U. S. A.

_Scott_, for General Hugh L. Scott, U. S. A.

_Seger_, for John M. Seger, of Colony, Oklahoma.

_R. B._, for Robert Burns, the Cheyenne interpreter at Concho, Oklahoma.

_Long_, for Major Stephen H. Long, U. S. A.

_Pop._ for Popular; that is, established among ourselves.

_D._ for Deaf Sign, as given in J. Schuyler Long’s Dictionary.

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

The drawing shows the hands as seen by the second person.

The digits are named: thumb, first or index finger, second or middle finger, third or ring-finger, and fourth or little finger.

The following marks, etc., are used in the illustrations:

Unless otherwise stated the _solid outline_ indicates the position of the hands at the beginning of a sign, the _dotted outlines_ indicate the position of the hands at the finish.

................ Dotted lines indicate the course of hand employed in the sign.

> Indicates the commencement point of the movement.

→ Indicates the direction of movement.

X Indicates the point in the gesture line at which the hand position is (x) changed.

⊙ Or full stop represents the termination of the movement.

“A hand” means like A, and “B hand” means like B, etc., in the one-handed Deaf Alphabet (Cut 1) on next page. The positions meant by “4 hand,” “5 hand,” “flat hand,” “flat fist,” or “compressed hand,” are figured on the same page.

Begin by learning the Single-hand Manual alphabet as noted above.

Next learn the _Numbers_ and the signs for _Question_ and its combinations; also _Yes_ and _No_, _Good_ and _Bad_, _Come_ and _Go_, _Big_ and _Small_, _Truth_ and _Lie_, _Strong_ and _Weak_, _Understand_, _Perhaps_, _Talk_ and _Sign-talk_, after this refer to the Dictionary for the signs that serve your purpose and use them according to the rules of syntax as herein set forth.

Never lose a chance of talking the Sign Language with an old Plains Indian, preferably of the Cheyenne or Arapahoe tribes. Their wonderful facility and grace are as hard to convey on paper as the pronunciation of French, and are as essential for the best style in Sign Talk. One may, indeed, know every sign in this book and not be a good sign-talker, so fundamental is this correct accent, or manner.

Footnotes

[1] Professor Elmer D. Read writes me that all of these are in use among the deaf also, except the signs for “shame” and “church”; for these they make the Indian signs “_red_” and “_house prayer_,” respectively.

[2] “After going carefully over your syntax I approve it in the main but I think it quite likely that many of the rules are not so inflexible as this makes them seem; besides which, there must be always a certain amount of modification by transliteration from the spoken language of those using the signs. This would manifest itself in a growing conformity of the Sign Language syntax to that of the more dominant spoken language.”—_F. W. Hodge (Ethnologist, Smithsonian Institution)._

[3] Since the above was written, I have come across L. F. Hadley’s pictographic writing of the Sign Language, fully set forth in the bibliographical matter. E. T. S.

SIGN TALK

_A Universal Signal Code, Without Apparatus, for Use in the Army, the Navy, Camping, Hunting, Daily Life and Among the Plains Indians_

SIGN TALK OF THE AMERICAN INDIANS

BY ERNEST THOMPSON SETON

_“A hand,” “G hand,” “flat hand” etc., mean like “A,” “G,” “flat,” etc., on page li._

A

=Abandon=, =Give It up= (Thrown away, chucked). Hold both S hands, backs up, near left breast, briskly swing both down to left side, opening them with a snap and giving a slight rebound to the hands after the movement, as though emphatically throwing away something. Sometimes only one hand is used. Compare _Bad_, _Hate_, and _Charge_. See _Divorce_.

Fr. _abandonner_; Ger. _aufgeben_.

=Able.= See _Can_.

=Aboard= (Sitting down on). Left hand out flat, palm up, right S hand on it, thumb up. Compare _Sit down_.

Fr. _à bord_; Ger. _an Bord_.

=About= or =Around=. Hold the flat left hand pointing forward, up and to the right, encircle it several times with the right G finger. If possible, make it concrete by indicating the very thing that was encircled.

Fr. _autour_; Ger. _um_ ... _herum_.

=About=, in the sense of _Near by_ or _Almost_. See _Close_.

=Above= or =Over= (One thing above another). Bring the flat left hand, back up, in front of and a little to the left of body; left forearm horizontal, fingers pointing to right and front; bring the flat right hand, back up over the left in a semi-circle upward large or small, as best suggests the actual distance. Has been used for _More than_. Compare _Beyond_.

Fr. _au-dessus_; Ger. _über_.

(=Below= is the reverse of this.)

=Absent.= See _Empty_.

=Abuse= to =Scold= or =Defame= (Throwing lies against one). Hold the right V hand near the mouth, pointing to left. Jerk it forward toward person once or twice. For =Abusing me= make the sign lower opposite the left breast and inward toward one’s self.

Fr. _calomnier_, _injurier_; Ger. _schmähen_, _beschimpfen_.

=Accident.= See _Free_, also _Luck_.

=Ache= or =Pain=. Thrust G finger many times in different directions over and parallel to the part. Compare _Wound_ and _Sick_.

Fr. _la douleur_; Ger. _der Schmerz_.

=Across=, =Cross=, or =Over= (Crossing a ridge). Hold the flat left hand out, palm down, and pointing forward and toward the right, pass the flat right hand edgewise across the back of the left. If but one person is meant, the right G is sometimes used. This sign as illustrated is often used for _Council_. See _Council_ and _Laws_.

Fr. _d’un côté à l’autre_, _traverser_; Ger. _hinüber_.

=Act=, as in a theatre play. Hold A hands in front perpendicularly, move up and down alternately as though the thumbs were two puppets. (Deaf sign, not used or understood by Indians.) Compare _Play_ and _Follow_.

=Act=, as in a play. Sign _Face_, _Two_, _Dance_ (that is dancing with a mask) (not established).

Fr. _jouer_; Ger. _spielen_.

=Act= or =Deed=. See _Work_.

=Add to= (Piling up). Flat left hand pointing to the right and front, palm up, forearm horizontal; the palm of flat right hand is placed on top of left hand a number of times, the left hand being raised a couple of inches each time, to meet it; the movement ends with left hand as high as top of the head. Often it is done as in the illustration but with palm of left down.

=Adjectives=, see _Comparative_.

=Adulation.= Kissing the back of the hand. (Pop.) Not Indian, but they understand it now. (R. B.)

Fr. _la flatterie_; Ger. _die Schmeichelei_.

=Advance.= Both flat hands back up, pointing forward, tandem, right in advance, six inches ahead (the fingers extended) moved forward together in gentle jerks. Compare _Move camp_.

Fr. _avancer_; Ger. _vorschreiten_.

=Advance Guard= (The one ahead, looking). Flat left hand back up, pointing forward, breast high; place G right just before it, then turn right G into V to mean _Looking_. Also used for _Scout_. Compare _Ahead_.

Fr. _l’avant-garde_; Ger. _die Vorhut_.

=Advise= or =Advice=. Sign _Talk_, _Make_, _Way_. (C) Sign _Help_ and _Talk_ would be near it.

Fr. _conseiller_; Ger. _raten_.

=Afraid= (Shaking heart). Sign _Heart_ then shake it up and down two or three times, to indicate the throbbing action of the heart under influence of fear. Or more strongly, sign _Heart_ and then finish by raising the hand until its back strikes the chin, to mean the heart rises in the throat.

Fr. _effrayé_; Ger. _ängstlich_.

=Afraid= or =Cowardly= (Seger says this means Buffalo backing out of fight; that is, “drawing in his horns.”) Hold out both G hands level, backs out, G fingers hooked like horns, draw them straight back together for six inches. Mostly but one hand is used. Compare _Bring_.

Fr. _lâche_, _poltron_; Ger. _feige_.

=Afraid of no one.= Point right G in several directions, then add _Afraid_, _Not_.

Fr. _peur de personne_; Ger. _vor niemand Angst haben_.

=After=, =Behind=, or =Late= (Time or space). G fingers pointing forward at an angle in front of body; left in advance. Draw the right over and behind the left. Draw it back a little way for a _little bit after_; but far back and low down for _a long way behind_. Some finish by clenching the right hand.

If it meant that _one_ is behind _the rest_, use the flat left hand, palm down, in advance, with right G behind.

Fr. _après_; Ger. _hinter_, _nach_.

=Afternoon.= Make a circle of right thumb and index and sweep it over the afternoon half of the sky from the zenith down. Compare _Sunset_.

Fr. _l’après-midi_; Ger. _der Nachmittag_.

=Again.= See _Repeat_ or _More_.