ASLwrite | |
|---|---|
 "Yes?" in ASL | |
| Script type | Alternative
(Iconic featural) |
| Creator | Adrean Clark, Julia Dameron |
| Created | 2011 |
| Languages | American Sign Language |
| Related scripts | |
Parent systems | SignWriting
|
| Unicode | |
| Not in Unicode | |
Very few ASL speakers use this writing system. ASLwrite's Website | |
ASLwrite (ASL: ) is a writing system that developed from si5s.[1] It was created to be an open-source, continuously developing orthography for American Sign Language (ASL), trying to capture the nuances of ASL's features. ASLwrite is only used by a handful of people, primarily revolving around discussions happening on Facebook[2] and, previously, Google Groups.[3] ASLwrite has been used for comic strips[4][5] and posters.[6]
Its core components are digits, locatives, marks and movements which are written in a fairly rigid order (though in a fairly flexible configuration) from left to right. Its digits are representations of handshapes – or the configuration of the hand and fingers – where the locatives represent locations on the body (or, in theory, in space), the marks represent anything from location (e.g., edge mark) to small movements (e.g., flutter) to facial expressions (e.g., raised eyebrow mark 
) and the movements indicate the movement of the hands in space by modifying the digits (and for shoulder shift 
/head nod modifying the body).
The order of the writing is from left to right, top to bottom, with locatives or certain marks often beginning words. Sentences are ended by the full stop mark (
). Questions in written ASL are denoted by eyebrow marks bounding the question not unlike Spanish's "¿ ?." Question words or wh-questions in ASL can also form the interrogative.
There are in total 105 characters in ASLwrite with 67 digits, five diacritic marks, twelve locatives, sixteen extramanual marks and five movement marks.[when?]
Since its creation, it has evolved to include more digits, locatives, movements and marks as well as modify those already present.
- ^ "History of sign language writing". HandSpeak. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
- ^ "ASLwrite Facebook Group". ASLwrite. Facebook. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
- ^ "ASLwrite". Google Groups. Alphabet. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
- ^ Clark, Adrean. "Adrean Clark's Photos". Facebook (in American Sign Language and English). Retrieved 11 May 2017.
Tough crowd. His face must have forgotten to match up or something. ;) 67 Description: Adrean shows her son a comic, asking "Hey is this funny?" He loks at it with a very serious expression and looks up with the same expression. "Yes." At below right Adrean asks "Are you sure?" ASL text: Hand-flip-attention. This funny this?
- ^ Clark, Adrean. "Adrean Clark's Photos". Facebook (in American Sign Language and English). Retrieved 11 May 2017.
Some days one forgets how to eat blackberry chia while wearing a fruit camouflage throw blanket... #totallyrelatable 66 Description: Adrean holds a blackberry chia packet over her mouth but misses, a clump dripping down on her. She looks down at her purple throw blanket/shawl which perfectly camouflages it and asks, "Where is it??" ASL text: Where?? #comic #comics #watercolor #coloredpencil #Deaf #klutz #writtenASL
- ^ Nitko, Tony. "Deaf Visual Arts Festival". Facebook.