BIRTH in sign language

"How do you sign "birth", also "natal" in American Sign Language?" There are three ways which are not often interchangeable.

ASL signs for "birth"

Keep in mind that all of the usage examples in English don't equate ASL sentences or phrases. They only fit in the contexts of what ASL translations might be.

Meaning: The emergence of a new individual from the body of its parent; relating to the place or time of one's birth.

Pronunciation (sign description): Horizontal, flat dominant hand on the stomach in front of the horizontal flat non-dominant hand moves toward the non-dominant palm in a curved motion.

Usage examples: "your date of birth", "his birth mother", "her natal home", "your birth family", "a natal star", "birth/natal chart".

Contextual variation.

Pronunciation (sign description): Horizontal, flat dominant hand near the stomach in front of the horizontal flat non-dominant hand moves downward and under the non-dominant hand in a curved motion.

Usage examples: "the period from birth to adolescence", "he weighed 7lb 5oz at birth", "there are also supposed to be more births around the time of a full moon".

Contextual variation (verb): to give birth to a child; to bear a child.

Pronunciation (sign description): Dominant fist near the stomach in front of the horizontal flat non-dominant hand moves downward and under the non-dominant flat hand in a curved motion.

Usage examples: "she concealed her pregnancy right up to the moment of birth".

For any of the following phrases, do NOT use any of the ASL signwords above. "the birth of the solar system", "witnessing the birth of the new era".

Vocabulary (bird and bee)

Related signs: The day a woman became IMPREGNATED, she carried the BABY for 9 months. She went into LABOR, having contractions. After long 36 hours of painful labor, you were DELIVERED into this tough world at 11:59pm.

When you were BORN or when your mama GAVE BIRTH to you, received a BIRTH CERTIFICATE with a BIRTHDATE on it. From there, you celebrate getting old on your BIRTHDAY every year. For years, you have a secret small BIRTHMARK what looks like the boundary line of Austria on your right foot.

Usage/Grammar

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