Dr. Vicars: What is a classifier? What do you think Art? Art:  I think you caught me not doing today's homework. Dr. Vicars: Heh, sorry, for putting you on the spot. Heather: It's the form of the fingers or hands to indicate a type ofSuch as... if you want to sign a cup or a plate, you form either a small circle with the hands, or you form a larger circle with the hands. Tigie: Like long narrow things and round flat things? Daniel: Signs that represent classes of objects such as land or water vehicles as a group. Dr. Vicars: Those are some great answers, I think we are getting there.Now give me another example. Sandy: Like using the index finger to show long skinny things? Dr. Vicars: Good, right. Let me explain it a bit more for you. to show a person (we will call him "Fred") walking and I have established him on my right I can take my right index finger and move it to the left to represent "Fred" walking across the room (or wherever). 

finger is (in this instance) being used as a classifier.  inflect the sign in various ways (speed, distance, movement path, non-manualIf I add a non-manual marker such as a facial expression it influences the meaning of my classifier. For example, If I do the CL-1-"walk across the room" sign with a smile It means Fred is happily walking acrossIf I do it quickly It means Fred is hustling etc. [Changing how you do a sign is what you would call "inflecting" the sign for meaning.] Sandy: What I didn't understand in looking at this was - isn't it overlyIs it really understood? Dr. Vicars: Think of classifiers as a type of pronoun. identify your pronoun before you can use it. Also you have to use it inI cant just start a conversation with you by signing, "HE WALK." have to set up some sort of situation or context, then I spell F-R-E-D, and then point to the right then form the INDEX-finger-classifier (or "Classifier 1" also shown as CL-1)  and move it to the left.

Tigie: How do you know that classifier "F" isn't part of a fingerspelled or initialized word instead of representing a small round thing? Dr. Vicars: Great question. The answer is context. It is the same way you know the letter O and the number 0 (zero) are different. they show up and how they are used. Dr. Vicars:  I don't expect you all to be experts at classifiers, just want you to know they exist. An example on that "F" concept: If I sign "I BUY NEW SHIRT" then I touch an F on my chest and throw it off suddenly it could mean: "and the button popped off." The "F" classifier acquired the meaning of "button" because of the context (I was talking about "shirts" and placement on my chest). Tigie: Would everyone understand that a button popped off and not for instance a bottle cap? Dr. Vicars: Remember this concept: "Show, don't tell." It is much faster to create an imaginary person or object then show what happens to it or

him--than to describe every item in the situation. In the case of the bottle cap I would have had to indicate a bottle of some kind before using an fThe only possible meaning for the classifier in the shirt example would be a button, because that was the context.  normally don't wear a row of bottle-caps down the front of their shirts. Sandy: So, classifiers are used later on in the "sentence," -- it makes more Heather: Why would you use the "F" sign to show a button popped off?grommet microsuede curtains Wouldn't you use a "B?"teal blackout curtains 66x54 Dr. Vicars: Because the shape of the fingerspelled letter "F" has a roundtarget threshold velvet curtains

hole representing the shape of a button. A "B" would be used to represent things that are flat.  Remember ASL is not linking to English it is Heather: Thanks, that makes perfect sense. Some of the more popular classifiers: CL-1  Things that are (relatively) long and skinny.  a stick, a person. CL-A an object in a certain location.  A house, a lamp. [motorcycle, park a car, row of cars, accident, garage]john lewis curtain pole finials CL-C-(index and thumb)  pepperoni, cookies, campaign buttonscurtains 230cm drop CL-G- thin things (or degree of thinness)ikea curtains 3m drop big-headed/egoistic/conceited, check, card, square]shower curtain rails wickes

CL-V- legs, a person walking-(upside-down V), two people walking, [stand, walk-to, lay down, toss-and-turn, dive, jump, skate board, scooter, get up] CL-V (bent fingers) = a small animal, or a larger animal sitting. CL-Y  Very wide things.  A fat person walking (WADDLE).Your browser can't find the document corresponding to the URL you typed in.24/7 SupportNot only we provide our customers with the most professional writing services of unmatched quality, but when ordering essay writer help from WayWrite You are treated like a friend. We are the best round-the-clock backup.Free RevisionsOnly You decide whether your custom written essay 100% meets your requirements and expectations. We are not done with your paper until You are completely satisfied with your paper. We set exemplary customer service.On-time DeliveryForget about missing the deadline for submitting the paper. No late submissions with WayWrite Essay writing services. The situation is quite the contrary: we strive to deliver custom written papers prior to initial deadline!