ROCKET in sign language

This word entry contains ASL signs for "rocket" (noun and verb) and vocabulary, a time-lapse video of how the ASL-speaking child produced "rocket" in ASL from baby to preschool age.

Drawing of rocket — Drawing by Juli LC, age 4

A drawing of the rocket by four-year-old ASLian, Juli.

ASL signs for ROCKET

Signs for the noun and verb of "rocket" in American Sign Language (ASL).

Meaning (noun): A cylindrical space vehicle launching or shooting up, propelled by one or more rocket engines, especially such a vehicle designed to travel through space.

Pronunciation (sign description): Upright dominant "R" in contact with upright non-dominant palm, dominant palm face out, slides upward twice in short movement.

Meaning (verb): to transport by a rocket.

Pronunciation (sign description): Upright dominant "R" in contact with upright non-dominant palm, dominant palm face out, slides upward once with a longer movement.

Meaning: (of a price, amount, etc.) increase suddenly and rapidly. See SOAR, BOOM, ESCALATE.

Meaning: to move or progress very rapidly. See ZOOM,

Baby signing ROCKET

The time-lapse video illustrates how the bilingual ASL-speaking kid Juli acquired the word ROCKET in American Sign Language and how the production of the ASL word evolved over time. Each child develops at different pace; although, linguistic principles remain consistent whether in signed or spoken languages.

Like many words, the ASL sign "rocket" emerged during the late one-word stage with the unmarked handshapes -- index finger in dominant hand and flat hand in non-dominant hand. Because the "R" handshape is one of a large number of marked handshapes, it doesn't develop until later during the middle phase or later phase of the whole chart of handshapes, depending on a child, usually after age 2.

During that period, the toddler often used the raspberry sound when signing "car", "rocket", and such. Notice that she sometimes signed "rocket" (as well as sentences) without the non-dominant hand. It's an example of informal register.

During the two-word stage of language development, the "R" handshape began to emerge at about age 2;0. However, it takes some time to integrate the "R" handshape with the signed word over few months or so, depending on a child.

Vocabulary

Related terms: VEHICLE, SPACECRAFT.

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