Primes of the handshape parameter chart in sign language

These handshape primes found in ASL (American Sign Language) are the smallest units of language (ASL) in the handshape parameter. This set of the handshape primes is called "handshape paramater".

A single ASL word/sign is made up of these five parameters: handshape, movement, location, palm orientation, and non-manual marker. Each parameter has a number of primes. E.g. there are over 45 handshape primes.

ASL handshape chart

The system of the sign language handshape chart below was developed by Jolanta Lapiak in 2013 or earlier for the ASL to English reverse dictionary on this website. The system is organized into categories from "O" to "10" and 20. The "20" handshapes was originally categorized under "0" as 'baby 0' till 2015. Each handshape prime has a few examples of the ASL signs that contain the handshape.

0-num

opinion
nothing

0-flat

teach

0-e

1-num

for
think

1-claw

recently
suspicious

1-claw2

apple
key

1-d

dating

1-bend

1-inverse

idea
if (variation)

2-num

see
stuck

2-bend

2-claw

doubt
gum

2-close

uncle

2-cross

rocket
realize

3-num

lousy
awkward

3-claw

bug
mischievous

3-bend

ha-ha

3-flat

no
duck

3-inverse

3-k

3-p

people

4-num

leak

4-close

beer
KNOW-THAT

4-claw

4-bend

GOOD-RIDDANCE

5-num

mother+father

5-close

school

5-claw

SO-MAD

5-half

video-recording
experience

5-bend

seem
sweet

tired

5-c

look-for
complain

6-num

wine
water

6-claw

weird

6-inverse (y)

forever
play

7-num

nerd

7-8

hippopotamus
irony

7-open

8-num

silver
melon

8-inverse

enmity

8-open

advantage
touch

9-num

fruit

9-open

10-num

girl
sports

10-a

attitude

10-s

bicycle

10-t

10-t (eu)

10-n

10-m

20-num

bird

20-o

EAR-RING

20-c

20-g

nut/pea-brained

20-l

later
lazy