Uploaded May 2021 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
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Vocabulary Expansion Series Lesson 39.
Want to order a USB drive with four semesters worth of ASL video instruction? (ASL 1, ASL 2, ASL 3, and ASL 4) for $79.95?
See "SuperUSB" in the ASLUniversity bookstore at:
lifeprint.com/bookstore/bookstore.htm
For free ASL lessons check out:
lifeprint.com/asl101/lessons/lessons.htm
For a great “100 First ASL Signs” resource, see:
lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-layout/concepts.htm
To learn basic fingerspelling see youtu.be/va1aAXpVr2w
Instructor Bio, see:
lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-layout/instructor.htm
Take care and love to you all.
- Dr. Bill
:)
Directional Verbs in ASL
ASL American Sign Language Vocabulary Expansion Series (39)
Dr. Bill Vicars with Cäsar Jacobson
Intended audience: Students who have who have completed Level 2 or higher of the ASL University curriculum at Lifeprint.com
youtu.be/iG_f0eH6JP8
Today we are going to learn about: Indicating Verbs and Reversal of orientation for negation
SHOW demonstrate example represent display vs SHOW-me
SHOW- that person
SHOW is an indicating verb
An indicating verb is sometimes called a directional sign.
Directional indicating verbs use starting and ending location and movement path to indicate the subject and object.
you- SHOW -me subject = you object = me
me-SHOW-them (third person referent) subject = me object = them, that person, him, her
SHOW has the ability to indicate subject and object via movement
SHOW is an indicating verb.
SHOW is directional
if has several versions …
IF version 1 SUPPOSE
IF version 2 fs-IF fingerspelled or lexicalized
IF version 3 COURT judgment justice
Show me 3 signs for IF
“but” has a few versions …
“but” version 1 DIFFERENT
“but” version 2 fingerspelled fs-BUT
“but” version 3 gesture “wait a moment” with raised eyebrows
Show me 3 signs for “but”
quote title subject theme vs QUOTE -from cite
“citation” is sometimes fingerspelled fs-CITATION
CITE version 1 quote from quoted …and I quote… citation
cite version 2 give-TICKET citation ticketed
A citation form of a sign is the dictionary version …
citation form: version 1 DICTIONARY open-BOOK IX-there
citation form version 2 FROZEN
citation form version 3 FANCY official proper dignified
citation form version 4 FULL complete
citation form version 5 fs-CF (requires high context)
Show me some ways to sign the concept of CITATION FORM
DICTIONARY open-BOOK IX-there FROZEN official proper FULL fs-CF
Show me 3 signs for “if”
Show me 3 signs for “but”
What is a citation form of a sign?
COMPARE
Compare: FANCY vs official proper dignified
Compare: ---------- official proper dignified vs an official coach chief BOSS
Compare: FULL in general FULL-of-food
Compare: FULL in general vs ENOUGH
Compare: ENOUGH vs PLENTY
coach chief BOSS
ENOUGH
PLENTY
RELAX at ease rest
casual down to earth chillin’ CALM taking it easy
The sign FOR has a citation form
FOR has a relaxed casual sign.
FOR has a question version what-FOR? (lowered eyebrows)
rhetorical version: what-FOR-[rhet]? (raised eyebrows) Use when you will answer your own question.
what-FOR? is sometimes typed as FOR-FOR?
Show me a few versions of “FOR”
FOR citation FOR casual what-FOR? what-FOR-[rhet]
RELAX rest
casual
SKIP absent not attend miss a meeting not do
Sample sentence: SKIP THAT QUESTION
ASK citation form a formal request
ASK citation form is probably based on the sign PRAY
ASK-to (casual) version 1 version 2
ASK-to + (context) = me-ASK-you
ASK-to is a directional sign.
ASK-me
ASK-that-person
What kind of verb is ASK-to?
ASK-to is an indicating verb since the direction indicates the subject and object.
you-ASK-me "you" are the subject "I" am the object
you-ASK-me vs that-person-ASK-me That person is the subject.
SKIP
SKIP is not directional SKIP is a PLAIN VERB
PLAIN
VERB
Plain verbs do not inform us who is the subject or object.
ASK-to (casual) vs a question question mark
fire off a bunch of questions
WANT
WANT has a reversal of orientation version = don’t want
We can type that as lowercase not + WANT = not-WANT or don’t-WANT
Compare: NOT WANT vs not-WANT
LIKE vs not-LIKE
KNOW vs don't-KNOW
GOOD vs BAD
TELL
TELL = TELL-you
TELL-me
TELL-that-person = TELL-that-group (singular) = TELL-him = TELL-her
TELL-them singular vs TELL-them plural
TELL everyone = ANNOUNCE declare claim
ANSWER respond order reply to response
ANSWER can be done with one hand or both hands.
ANSWER vs TELL
I’m going to fire off a bunch of questions to you. If you don’t want to answer a question tell me to skip it.
Give me an example: reversal of orientation for negation
don't-KNOW don't-LIKE don't-WANT
Give me an example of an indicating verb using directionality
you-ASK-me you-SHOW-me TELL-me
[End of main content]
Donations very much appreciated:
paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=64QMBRBXQSV6G
Or, if you prefer "Cash App" you can use: cash.me/$Lifeprint
Or use Patreon at patreon.com/ASLU
Vocabulary Expansion Series Lesson 39.
Want to order a USB drive with four semesters worth of ASL video instruction? (ASL 1, ASL 2, ASL 3, and ASL 4) for $79.95?
See "SuperUSB" in the ASLUniversity bookstore at:
lifeprint.com/bookstore/bookstore.htm
For free ASL lessons check out:
lifeprint.com/asl101/lessons/lessons.htm
For a great “100 First ASL Signs” resource, see:
lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-layout/concepts.htm
To learn basic fingerspelling see youtu.be/va1aAXpVr2w
Instructor Bio, see:
lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-layout/instructor.htm
Take care and love to you all.
- Dr. Bill
:)
Directional Verbs in ASL
ASL American Sign Language Vocabulary Expansion Series (39)
Dr. Bill Vicars with Cäsar Jacobson
Intended audience: Students who have who have completed Level 2 or higher of the ASL University curriculum at Lifeprint.com
youtu.be/iG_f0eH6JP8
Today we are going to learn about: Indicating Verbs and Reversal of orientation for negation
SHOW demonstrate example represent display vs SHOW-me
SHOW- that person
SHOW is an indicating verb
An indicating verb is sometimes called a directional sign.
Directional indicating verbs use starting and ending location and movement path to indicate the subject and object.
you- SHOW -me subject = you object = me
me-SHOW-them (third person referent) subject = me object = them, that person, him, her
SHOW has the ability to indicate subject and object via movement
SHOW is an indicating verb.
SHOW is directional
if has several versions …
IF version 1 SUPPOSE
IF version 2 fs-IF fingerspelled or lexicalized
IF version 3 COURT judgment justice
Show me 3 signs for IF
“but” has a few versions …
“but” version 1 DIFFERENT
“but” version 2 fingerspelled fs-BUT
“but” version 3 gesture “wait a moment” with raised eyebrows
Show me 3 signs for “but”
quote title subject theme vs QUOTE -from cite
“citation” is sometimes fingerspelled fs-CITATION
CITE version 1 quote from quoted …and I quote… citation
cite version 2 give-TICKET citation ticketed
A citation form of a sign is the dictionary version …
citation form: version 1 DICTIONARY open-BOOK IX-there
citation form version 2 FROZEN
citation form version 3 FANCY official proper dignified
citation form version 4 FULL complete
citation form version 5 fs-CF (requires high context)
Show me some ways to sign the concept of CITATION FORM
DICTIONARY open-BOOK IX-there FROZEN official proper FULL fs-CF
Show me 3 signs for “if”
Show me 3 signs for “but”
What is a citation form of a sign?
COMPARE
Compare: FANCY vs official proper dignified
Compare: ---------- official proper dignified vs an official coach chief BOSS
Compare: FULL in general FULL-of-food
Compare: FULL in general vs ENOUGH
Compare: ENOUGH vs PLENTY
coach chief BOSS
ENOUGH
PLENTY
RELAX at ease rest
casual down to earth chillin’ CALM taking it easy
The sign FOR has a citation form
FOR has a relaxed casual sign.
FOR has a question version what-FOR? (lowered eyebrows)
rhetorical version: what-FOR-[rhet]? (raised eyebrows) Use when you will answer your own question.
what-FOR? is sometimes typed as FOR-FOR?
Show me a few versions of “FOR”
FOR citation FOR casual what-FOR? what-FOR-[rhet]
RELAX rest
casual
SKIP absent not attend miss a meeting not do
Sample sentence: SKIP THAT QUESTION
ASK citation form a formal request
ASK citation form is probably based on the sign PRAY
ASK-to (casual) version 1 version 2
ASK-to + (context) = me-ASK-you
ASK-to is a directional sign.
ASK-me
ASK-that-person
What kind of verb is ASK-to?
ASK-to is an indicating verb since the direction indicates the subject and object.
you-ASK-me "you" are the subject "I" am the object
you-ASK-me vs that-person-ASK-me That person is the subject.
SKIP
SKIP is not directional SKIP is a PLAIN VERB
PLAIN
VERB
Plain verbs do not inform us who is the subject or object.
ASK-to (casual) vs a question question mark
fire off a bunch of questions
WANT
WANT has a reversal of orientation version = don’t want
We can type that as lowercase not + WANT = not-WANT or don’t-WANT
Compare: NOT WANT vs not-WANT
LIKE vs not-LIKE
KNOW vs don't-KNOW
GOOD vs BAD
TELL
TELL = TELL-you
TELL-me
TELL-that-person = TELL-that-group (singular) = TELL-him = TELL-her
TELL-them singular vs TELL-them plural
TELL everyone = ANNOUNCE declare claim
ANSWER respond order reply to response
ANSWER can be done with one hand or both hands.
ANSWER vs TELL
I’m going to fire off a bunch of questions to you. If you don’t want to answer a question tell me to skip it.
Give me an example: reversal of orientation for negation
don't-KNOW don't-LIKE don't-WANT
Give me an example of an indicating verb using directionality
you-ASK-me you-SHOW-me TELL-me
[End of main content]
