Sign (or Sign Language) in fiction

American Sign Language

Sign is entirely visual to those using it to communicate which means that in fiction it translates not only best to visual mediums but to those that allow for movement. Stage plays, musical performances and movies are the best for Sign usage. Unfortunately, the further into the field of inert and non-visual arts you go the further away from Sign usage you get. Visual arts are static so one word could be displayed per panel, just as with comics. By doing such a thing it is easier to write the word out as writing is visual. This means that books seem to be the perfect format for imparting stories to the hearing impaired as they include more than one word and are entirely visual.


But the use of Sign in books is almost lost for the use of the written language, meaning that much of the language that is Sign, including jargon, humour and other cultural nuances, is lost. It is obscured by the written language that doesn't contain the same set of nuances. It is like swapping English for French, not even British English for American English.


As with the remaking of foreign movies, not just the subtitling, there are different ways of interpreting events, representing events and reacting to them. These differences are what is lost between the use of Sign to communicate and the use of the written language.


This means that while books seem like the perfect answer to conveying stories from one hearing impaired person to another it isn't always the case. Like many other forms of story telling there are some stories that fit certain modes of telling better than others. So too are there stories best told in Sign rather than in the written language. In which case the best method of conveying these stories shifts back to being the visual formats such as movies and stage performances.


Again though, there is an issue. Many stories need to be shortened to be performed and in most cases when made into movies they are reduced to dialogue and action as the main methods of conveying the story. Much of what needs to be imagined is portrayed in full colour and life sized displays. This means that the imagination isn't worked nearly as hard as when a person is presented with black and white scribbles that need converting into a full world. 


The upshot of all this is that there is no truly perfect medium for Sign stories other than in the story around the campfire format. Such stories pull on the imagination, can be long or short and are intensely visual. But such stories (not necessarily told around a campfire, obviously) are often unrecorded and unrecognised by the general public. So even this method of story telling is flawed.

British Sign Language

What the solution is, I'm not sure but I believe there needs to be a bit of a revolution in one or the other of the story telling mediums for Sign to truly be used on its own to convey stories. Possibly a recording of such campfire or round table stories is the way to go. Maybe a recording of white hands on a black screen or vise verse for an imitation of the black on white scribbles that make up books. This would leave much room for the imagination to take off. But then I'm sure many of the hearing impaired would also just find it easier to turn on the subtitles of a movie or show.


Which leads me to a very small point on subtitles: They really, really are bad in some cases. White on white or yellow on yellow. Incorrect interpretations of the spoken words leading to gobbledegook written on the bottom of the screen (don't get me started with YouTube's subtitles...). Subtitles that scroll past too fast or too slow or even take up more than a third of the screen. There really need to be better standards all round. These problems were especially highlighted to me when I was sitting beside my hearing impaired Pop watching the TV shows of his choice. I could hear and read so I could pick out just how many mistakes there were, how delayed the feed was and how confusing it was to have feeds running at the bottom of the screen on football news while the subtitles were reading economic news. Only I knew which the reporter was actually speaking on, leading my Pop to wonder at the Chinese economists being so interested in football.


So the visual formats aren't perfect and Sign is left almost entirely as a language for communicating person to person, directly.


You'd also think there is a possibility of conveying Sign decently in writing by describing all the movements made but such conversations would take a fair while to write, needing more than one word to represent one word. So Sign is little used in writing without the interpreter acting like a narrator and spelling the movements out to the reader, again almost defeating the purpose of Sign except in the much needed representation of the hearing impaired in our stories. You simply cannot ignore a whole section of the population just because it is hard to write Sign.

Numbers in Sign Language

Another away to approach the writing of sign is to use the actual hand symbols, complete with a translation underneath. This would likely work best in fantasy stories where there are likely to be many types of languages clashing, not all of which are for those who can hear. They may read a little like hieroglyphs to those who are unfamiliar with Sign but would probably read well to those who do know Sign and its variations (Sign often changes per country just as other languages do). But this gives those unfamiliar with Sign a chance to learn the basics and learning any language never hurt anyone.


Sign is still making headway into the world of visual media so there is likely lots of time for us all to witness how successfully it adapts and what new formats may arise. Sign isn't for every person who's hearing impaired but the vast majority of those who can learn it do. This means that Sign is here to stay and for any language that means constant change and adaptation. It will be exciting to see what happens next.




Note: I apologise for any rambling, I've a Doctor's certificate to prove I have an allowance for it but no, you can't see it. You'll just have to trust me.

Latin phrases everyone should know

Not everyone gets the chance to learn Latin at school so here are some Latin phrases to learn that will help you in your day-to-day life. Latin might be a 'dead' language but it is still around and still taught so knowing at least some is necessary.

Per se:

Translation “by itself”.

Can be used to mean “intrinsically”.

Vice versa: 

Meaning "to change" or "turn around".

Used to mean to “reverse the order”.

Alma mater:

Literal translation is "dear/bountiful mother".

Used everyday to denote the college or university from which a person has graduated.

Magnum opus:

Denotes the greatest work created by an artist, a true masterpiece in writing, painting, sculpture or music.

Bona fide:

Literally means "good faith".

Used legally to represent something that is presented without deception or fraud. Literally in good faith, honest, sincere and lawful.

Commonly used to mean “the real deal” or “truly authentic”.

Quasi:

In Means “as if “or “as though”.

Commonly used as a part of a compound word to indicate “resemblance” but not in all features.

Alter ego:

Meaning "a second self" or "another I".

Verbatim:

“To repeat in exactly the same words” or “word for word”.

Status quo:

Meaning "the state in which".

Commonly used to designate the existing state or condition of things.

Sic:

Indicates there is a spelling or grammatical error (or just something out of the ordinary) in an original quotation. Used to indicate the publication has only reproduced it faithfully, not made an error.

Id est (i.e.):

Means "that is".

Commonly used when the speaker or writer wants to give an example or explanation that specifies a statement.

Deus ex machina:

Meaning "God out of a machine".

Used in literature to describe a plot where an artificial or improbable means of resolving a conflict is used, much as an act of God is improbable and artificial.

Exempli gratia (e.g.):

Meaning "for the sake of example" and when it see it in a sentence you can expect that is will be followed by some examples.

Et cetera (etc.):

Meaning "and the others".

Used to denote that a list of things could continue ad infinitum.

Ex libris:

Meaning "from the library of."

Not commonly used today.

Ibidem (ibid):

Meaning "in the same place".

Found in footnotes and bibliographies to designate that the same source has been cited twice in succession.

Et alii (et al):

Found in footnotes and bibliographies.

Use allows you to refer to a large number of authors without having to write each name out.

Ad infinitum:

Meaning "to infinity".

Used to describe something that goes on, seemingly or actually endlessly.

De facto:

Meaning "from the fact".

Commonly used to distinguish what is supposed to be the case from what actually is.

In toto:

Meaning “in all” or “entirely”.

Used to mean "in total".

Ipso facto:

Meaning "by the fact itself".

Commonly used and misused term that denotes when something is true by its very nature.

Tabula rasa:

Meaning "clean slate".

Denotes something or someone not affected by experiences and impressions.

Terra firma:

Meaning “firm ground”.

Mea culpa:

literally to "my fault."

Used to admit your own guilt or wrongdoing in a situation.

Persona non grata:

Meaning an "unacceptable person".

Someone who is no longer welcome in a social or business situation.

In vitro:

Meaning "in glass".

Any biological process that occurs in the laboratory rather than in the body or a natural setting can be called in vitro.

In vivo:

Meaning "within the living".

Commonly used when referring to animal testing and clinical trials.

Ante bellum:

Meaning "before the war".

Can be applied to any war.

Most commonly used to refer to the American Civil War and the Antebellum Era that preceded it.

A priori:

Meaning to take a general law or idea and apply it to a particular instance without needing experimentation or observation.

A posteriori:

A posteriori arguments are different than a priori because they are based on actual observation or experimentation.

Ad nauseam:

Commonly used to describe an argument that has been taking place to the point of nausea.

Ergo:

Meaning “therefore” or “hence”.

Compis mentis:

Meaning "in command of one's mind".

Commonly used in the legal field to denote someone who is competent to stand trial and not encumbered by mental illness or handicap.

Subpoena:

Meaning "under penalty".

Non-response to a subpoena will result in penalties under the law.

Ad hominem:

An argument that attacks someone's character rather than addressing a question or issue at hand, appealing to emotions and prejudices rather than reason or logic.

Habeas corpus:

Meaning to “have the body”.

A writ of habeas corpus requires a person to appear before the court in person. Habeas corpus cannot be suspended unless there is reason to believe that a person could pose a danger to the public.

Pro bono:

Pro bono means "for the good".

Commonly used with the meaning “free of charge”.

Mens rea:

Meaning "guilty mind".

The difference between murder and manslaughter. Those who go into a crime intending to commit it have mens rea, while those who commit a crime accidentally or without advance planning don’t.

Ad hoc:

Meaning "to this".

Refers to something that is formed or done quickly to meet the needs of a particular problem or issue, without regard to a more general application. Generally lacking in advance planning.

Per diem:

Meaning "by the day".

Commonly used for payment by the day.

Curriculum vitae:

Meaning "the course of one's life".

Commonly used to describe a resume.

Applied to mean a short list of your accomplishments and training.

Pro rata:

Meaning to charge at a proportional rate.

Quid pro quo:

Meaning "this for that".

Often used to describe an exchange of value necessary for a contract to take place.

Carpe diem:

From a poem by Horace.

Commonly held to mean "seize the day".

Cogito ergo sum:

Meaning "I think, therefore I am".

From the philosopher Rene Descartes.

Veni, vidi, vici:

Meaning "I came, I saw, I conquered".

Said to have been uttered by Roman emperor Julius Caesar after a short war with Pharnaces II of Pontus.

In vino veritas:

Quote from Pliny the Elder meaning, "in wine there is the truth."

Often followed up with "in aqua sanitas" or "in water there is health".

E pluribus unum:

Meaning "out of many, one".

Found on anything bearing the seal of the United States.

Et tu, Brute?:

Meaning "Even you, Brutus?".

These are the famous last words of Julius Caesar after he is murdered by his friend Marcus Brutus in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.

Commonly used to designate any form of the utmost betrayal.

Veni, Vidi, edi

Meaning “I came, I saw, I ate”.

The family motto.

Many of these are thanks to: 50 Common Latin Phrases Every College Student Should Know

Words first put to manuscript by Chaucer

From: harvardsententiae.org

There are roughly 2000 words found in Chaucer's manuscripts that aren't found in manuscripts printed previously. This doesn't mean he invented the words or that alternate versions of these words weren't in common speech of use in manuscripts. But these words are written and used they are today. Considering Chaucer wrote in Middle English, this is pretty interesting.

These words include (I've highlighted my favourites): 

Absent, Acceptable, Accident, Add, Agree, Alan, Alight, Amble, Amble, Ambler, Annex, Approver, Arc, Army, Arrayed, Arrive, Ascendant, Award, Bagpipe, Bedstraw, Begged, Bet, Bodkin, Bolt, Borax, Border, Bourdon, Box, Bracer, Bragget, Bream, Breastplate, Bribe, Bribery, Buckle, Bum, Bumble, Cape, Caterwaul, Ceruse, Chant, Chime, Chose, Cinnamon, Circe, Citrine, Clasp, Clink, Collared, Collect, Considering, Constabless, Constant, Convertible, Cordial, Corny, Corpus, Court-man, Crone, Dagger, Debtless, Declination, Definitive, Demoniac, Demonstrative, Desk, Determinate, Digestible, Digestion, Dilatation, Disfigure, Dishonest, Dives, Domination, Dormant, Easement, Ecclesiast, Envelop, Equally, Equation, Erect, Exaltation, Examination, Execute, Expanse, Expel, Expulsive, Falconer, Faring, Fart, Femininity, Finally, Flattering, Flute, Fluttery, Foal, Foot-mantle, Forge, Foster, Frowning, Funeral, Galaxy, Gaud, Gaze, Halfway, Harry, Haunch-bone, Hippocras, Hodge, Horizon, Hostelry, Householder, Howl, Huntress, In, Inclination, Infect, Ingot, Intellect, Interrogation, Jingle, Kneading, Kneading-trough, Knob, Lab, Lacing, Latitude, Laureate, Laxative, Licentiate, Line, Luce, Lucina, Lure, Magic, Magician, Man of law, Marquisess, Marrowbone, Martian, Melancholic, Menacing, Mercenary, Miscarry, Mishap, Mislie, Moral, Mortal, Mortally, Motive, Mover, Murmur, Murmuring, Muzzle, Muse, Narcotic, Nod, Notable, Nowell, Nymph, Obscure, Observe, Obstacle, Opie, Opposite, Opposition, Ordinate, Out, Outcry, Outrageous, Pardoner, Party, Patent, Peace, Pearl, Pilate, Pegasus, Peregrine, Perpendicular, Persian, Perturb, Pharmacy, Piercing, Piping, Plain, Plumage, Policy, Popper, Poppet, Porteous, Portraiture, Possibility, Preamble, Preambulation, Resemblance, Preen, Prenticehood, Princess, Procreation, Progression, Refuge, Proportional, Prospection, Prospective, Quack, Renting, Resolve, Resound, Returning, Reveller, Reverberation, Rigour, Rioter, Rumour, Sack, Saffron, Sane, Save, Saving, Scissors, Score, Seriously, Serve, Session, Sheffield, Shelf, Shouting, Sip, Slumber, Smiler, Snort, Sold, Sole, Spaniel, Spence, Squire, Stew, Strangle, Strangling, Struggle, Superlative, Stubborn, Superstitious, Swarm, Swive, Tartar, Tester, Theatre, Thick and thin, Thoroughfare, Tip, Trench, Trill, Trip, Tub, Turret, Universe, Utility, Vacation, Valentine, Vanishing, Variation, Varnish, Veal, Very, Vicar general, Victorious, Village, Visage, Vital, Vomit, Vulgar, Wallet, Whippletree, Whistling, Wildness, Winged, Wrack.

If you want to get a proper understanding of why these words are so significant, here is a section of The Cook's Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer (1340?-1400), as written: 

THE COOK'S PROLOGUE

The cook of londoun, whil the reve spak,
For joye him thoughte he clawed him on the bak.
Ha! ha! quod he, for cristes passion,
This millere hadde a sharp conclusion
Upon his argument of herbergage!
Wel seyde salomon in his langage,
-- Ne bryng nat every man into thyn hous; --
For herberwynge by nyghte is perilous.
Wel oghte a man avysed for to be
Whom that he broghte into his pryvetee.
I pray to god, so yeve me sorwe and care
If evere, sitthe I highte hogge of ware,
Herde I a millere bettre yset a-werk.
He hadde a jape of malice in the derk.
But God forbede that we stynte heere;
And therfore, if ye vouche-sauf to heere
A tale of me, that am a povre man,
I wol yow telle, as wel as evere I kan,
A litel jape that fil in oure citee.
Oure hoost answerde and seide, I graunte it thee.
Now telle on, roger, looke that it be good;
For many a pastee hastow laten blood,
And many a jakke of dovere hastow soold
That hath been twies hoot and twies coold.
Of many a pilgrym hastow cristes curs,
For of thy percely yet they fare the wors,
That they han eten with thy stubbel goos;
For in thy shoppe is many a flye loos.
Now telle on, gentil roger by thy name.
But yet I pray thee, be nat wroth for game;
A man may seye ful sooth in game and pley.
Thou seist ful sooth, quod roger, by my fey!
But -- sooth pley, quaad pley, -- as the flemyng seith.
And therfore, herry bailly, by thy feith,
Be thou nat wrooth, er we departen heer,
Though that my tale be of an hostileer.
But nathelees I wol nat telle it yit;
But er we parte, ywis, thou shalt be quit.
And therwithal he lough and made cheere,
And seyde his tale, as ye shul after heere.

 THE COOK'S TALE 

A prentys whilom dwelled in oure citee,
And of a craft of vitailliers was hee.
Gaillard he was as goldfynch in the shawe,
Broun as a berye, a propre short felawe,
With lokkes blake, ykembd ful fetisly.
Dauncen he koude so wel and jolily
That he was cleped perkyn revelour.
He was as ful of love and paramour
As is the hyve ful of hony sweete:
Wel was the wenche with hym myghte meete.
At every bridale wolde he synge and hoppe;
He loved bet the taverne than the shoppe.
For whan ther any ridyng was in chepe,
Out of the shoppe thider wolde he lepe --
Til that he hadde al the sighte yseyn,
And daunced wel, he wolde nat come ayeyn --
And gadered hym a meynee of his sort
To hoppe and synge and maken swich disport;
And ther they setten stevene for to meete,
To pleyen at the dys in swich a streete.
For in the toune nas ther no prentys
That fairer koude caste a paire of dys
Than perkyn koude, and therto he was free
Of his dispense, in place of pryvetee.
That fond his maister wel in his chaffare;
For often tyme he foond his box ful bare.
For sikerly a prentys revelour
That haunteth dys, riot, or paramour.
His maister shal it in his shoppe abye,
Al have he no part of the mynstralcye.
For thefte and riot, they been convertible,
Al konne he pleye on gyterne or ribible.
Revel and trouthe, as in a lowe degree,
They been ful wrothe al day, as men may see.
this joly prentys with his maister bood,
Til he were ny out of his prentishood,
Al were he snybbed bothe erly and late,
And somtyme lad with revel to newegate.
But atte laste his maister him bithoghte.
Upon a day, whan he his papir soghte,
Of a proverbe that seith this same word,
Wel bet is roten appul out of hoord
Than that it rotie al the remenaunt.
So fareth it by a riotous servaunt;
It is ful lasse harm to lete hym pace,
Than he shende alle the servantz in the place.
Therfore his maister yaf hym acquitance,
And bad hym go, with sorwe and with meschance!
And thus this joly prentys hadde his leve.
Now lat hym riote al the nyght or leve.
And for ther is no theef withoute a lowke,
That help eth hym to wasten and to sowke
Of that he brybe kan or borwe may,
Anon he sente his bed and his array
Unto a compeer of his owene sort,
That lovede dys, and revel, and disport,
And hadde a wyf that heeld for contenance
A shoppe, and swyved for hir sustenance.

It is well worth struggling to read Middle English when it comes to Chaucer's works. He was one cheeky writer and his works are filled with the crude, rude and immoral. Good for a laugh anytime.