OLD in sign language

How do you sign "old" in American Sign Language (ASL)? There are several signs in contexts such as age, worn, etc.

ASL signs for "old"

Having lived for a long time; no longer young; old age; elderly; not new.

Pronunciation (sign description): Loose "O" handshape like somewhere between the handshapes "O" and "C" with its top on the chin moves downward at the same time the handshape transforms into "S" handshape or fist.

Usage examples: "old news", "old clothes", "old man".

Related signs: MATURE, ELDERLY, ANCIENT, SECONDHAND, USED.

Meaning: The length of time that a person has lived or a thing has existed.

Pronunciation (sign description): Same as above, except for the movement which the hand moves downward twice.

Usage examples of the age-related concept: "how old are you?" "What is his age?"

Related signs: AGE.

Telling age

For "how old is she?", sign in ASL as "IX OLD?" with the furrowed eyebrows for a wh-question for the sign "OLD?". It means asking how old she/he is.

In grammar, however, when telling an age, the movement is once plus a number. Glossed as AGE+THREE (where the symbol "+" indicate two separate ASL words). Deaf signers naturally use numeral incorporation which involves the index finger for AGE with a number, which is glossed as AGE-THREE where the symbol "-" indicates one word in ASL. See the tutorial to learn how to tell age.

Related words and opposites

As the YOUNG children grew OLD they learned a few things. Not to say they MATURED, but they became ELDERLY and everything they owned became OLD-FASHIONED. What was once HIP was now PASSE. They couldn't even get rid of their clothes at a SECONDHAND store. Everything they owned was well USED and to the YOUTH of today considered to be ANCIENT. Take it easy youth of today, you're the old folks of tomorrow and not everything gets better with AGE. They didn't want to hear it thought. They were too busy aging. Change is ageless.

Opposite: Change is nothing NEW.

Usage/Grammar

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