MORE in sign language
In this entry, learn how to sign "more" in sign language (ASL) and its associations, such as "one more", "more and more", etc. And watch a time-lapse video of how an ASL-speaking kid utters "more" from the earliest emergence to sentence usage in ASL.
ASL signs for MORE
How do you say one of the most common signs or words -- "more" in ASL?
Meaning: Comparative of many, much; a greater or additional amount or degree.
Pronunciation (sign description): Both "flat-0" hands (handshape) with the palms facing each other (orientation) slightly apart in space (location) taps twice on the fingers of both hands (movement).
One more
Hey, one more (pun intended). One more thing. How do you say "one more" in ASL? See a few variations of the sign ONE MORE.
More and more
The sign is literally transcribed as "more and more" but when it's translated into English when it's used in a sentence. It can mean "growing", "increasing", or such. It's usually referred to a recent time of some events or situations observed.
Meaning: 'at a continually increasing rate. [Video by Antonia M. Polke, 2018.]
more than
Meaning: ABOVE.
Related signs for "more"
ONE MORE thing if you want to know OTHER or ADDITIONAL words like EXTRA or maybe FURTHER.
Baby-Toddler-Preschooler Signing MORE
Not only 'more" is one of the most common words or signs in English and ASL alike (and also true for many other languages), but it's also one of the earliest and the most common signs or words among babies and toddlers, asking their mom or dad for more grape, milk, play, sleep (maybe!), or something.
The time-lapse video of how the baby acquired the word "more" in the early language acquisition (ASL) through all stages from communicative gesture to babbling to one-word stage to two-word stage.
In this time-lapse video, the baby started with a communciative gesture. Then, it gives a glimpse of the babbling form for "more" before the baby can form the signed word "more" during the one-word stage of language development. Then, there is a sentence in the two-word stage.
At age 1;3 in the video, the mother purposefully waited after the baby requested for "more grapes". She just sat there, nodding and smiling, "Yup, more grapes". Then, the baby suggested, "help." :)
To give you an understanding of the contexts, gestural pointing (not linguistic pointing or pronoun which is a different process in the brain) generally emerges at about 7 months or later. Babbling both in manual-speaking and vocal-speaking usually emerges at 6-7 months.
Note that there is no such as "more" in baby sign language because 1) it's an ASL word; 2) 'baby sign language' itself is cultural appropriation; 3) baby sign language is as fallacious as "baby speech language".
Related words: The ASL sign "more" comes with the magical word PLEASE for toddlers and maybe true for teenagers (ha) who beg you for something like a candy, a chocolate, and toys. And, borrowing your car.