This word entry contains ASL signs for "day", related vocabulary, numeral incorporation for number of days, and culture notes.
"What is the sign for 'day' in American Sign Language?"
Meaning: The period of light between dawn and nightfall; the interval from sunrise to sunset.
Pronunciation (sign description): Dominant upright "1" handshape (index finger) is held up in neutral space while the dominant elbow rests on the non-dominant palm-down hand. The dominant hand moves toward the non-dominant arm while the dominant elbow stays on the non-dominant hand.
Vocabulary: DAILY, MIDDAY, NOON, DAYTIME, TOMORROW, YESTERDAY.
Opposite: NIGHT.
Meaning: all day; lasting or available throughout the day; full day.
Pronunciation (sign description): Watch out for the handshape ("B") which is not the same as the regular single word DAY (with "1" handshape).
Instead of uttering two ASL words (number + "day"), there are single ASL words for the number of days between one and nine.
Meaning: two days.
This one sign TWO-DAY is an example of numeral incorporation.
This ASL signword TWO+DAY contains two regular ASL words without numeral incorporation.
Meaning: Three days.
The single signed word THREE-DAY above consists of a numeral incorporation originally from the two-word signs shown below.
A two-word phrase: THREE + DAY.
Meaning: four days.
Numeral incorporation.
Meaning: five days.
The sign above uses numeral incorporation based on the two words below. That is, FIVE-DAY as one signed word above vs FIVE+DAY as two signed words below.
Meaning: six days.
This ASL sign/word SIX-DAYS uses numeral incorporation which incorporates two individuals (SIX and DAY) into a single sign.
And so on.
Meaning: ten days.
Then, from ten on, you use two ASL signwords: NUMBER and DAY.
On December 19th, 2017, the United Nations declared September 23rd as International Day of Sign Languages.
The chosen date of September 23 is based on the date when the WFD (World Federation of the Deaf) was established in 1951.
This day marks the birth of an advocacy organisation, which has as one of its main goals, the preservation of sign languages and Deaf culture as pre-requisites to the realisation of the human rights of deaf people." -- www.un.org
Vocabulary: MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY.
First 100 words.
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