A Grammar of German Sign Language (DGS)

Movements in space occur in various forms and can be classified in terms of the following aspects:

• direction: relation to body(part), relation to points in space; horizontal/frontal/vertical; towards the side of the active/non-active hand, forward/backward, upward/downward
• shape: straight, bend, circle etc.
• manner: tempo, intensity, size, amount of repetition

The arched movement of the sign father goes from the forehead upward to the chin and occurs in a usual tempo, intensity, and size. The zigzag movement of the sign christmas runs in the neutral signing space downwards and occurs in a usual tempo, intensity, and size.

a. father       

  

 

b. christmas    

 

Moreover, it is essential whether a movement is reduplicated or not. The minimal pair finish – already is distinguished solely by this property. Whereas the sign finish is articulated with a single downwards movement to the non-dominant hand, within the sign already this movement is reduplicated.

finish - already

 

 

Further examples of minimal pairs with respect to movement are: 

a. son – daugther       

          

 

b. yellow – gold      

                  

 

c. secure – what_a_pity     

    

 

d. calculate – how_much 

     

 

e. idea – ideology