5.2. Size-and-Shape Specifiers (SASS)

Size-and-shape Specifiers (also known as descriptive classifiers) describe features of the physical properties of objects and persons. Instead of describing the referent’s movement, the movement carried out by the hands in the articulation of this type of classifier usually follows the perimeter or the surface of the element described, as in the examples below.

cl(c): ‘rectangle’

cl(<): ‘python’

cl(o): ‘spots’

cl(v): ‘grid’

cl(u): ‘line’

cl(l): ‘line2’

cl(B): ‘arch’

cl(B): ‘arch2’

cl(<): ‘mountain side’

(recreated from Quer et al., 2005)

Size-and-shape Specifiers may also include information about shape and volume, as in the following examples.

cl(5): ‘ellipsoidal’

cl(V): ‘hexahedron’

cl(>): ‘sphere’

cl(<): ‘cylinder’

cl(,): ‘cube’

Moreover, this classifier type may also indicate the texture of a surface. In these cases, different mouth patterns accompany the articulation of the classifier, as we can see below.

cl(,): ‘rough’ [ptpt]

cl(,): ‘smooth’ [fff]

cl(,): ‘velvety’ [zzz]

cl(,): ‘bumpy’ [blopblop]

(recreated from Quer et al., 2005)

All the specific classifier handshapes that have been shown until now can be categorized in more general denotations. The table below offers an overview of the most common classifier handshapes in LSC and their most general denotations.

Handshape	Denotation	Examples
B	Long narrow entities	person, stick, branch, log, leg, horn, carrot, pen, pencil
\|	Flat wide entities	paper, surface, table, wall, feet, door
6	Round/cylindrical entities	head, big thick pawns, feet cycling
Y	Legged entities (with downwards orientation) / entities composed of two long and thin parts (upwards orientation)	person walking / two people walking, tram, chop sticks
b	Long bended entities	person sitting, person bending knees, bones, stairs, snake bite, vampire bite
f	Entities with two extremities/limbs and a thick center	airplane, fat person, croissant, horns, heels
@	Four-legged entities (animate) / legged entities (inanimate)	four-legged animals, dinosaur legs /gopro, webcam, fairground attraction
y	Ovoidal entities	animal head, statue, figure, doll, pawns, baby, testicles, eggs
6	Long thick entities	column, elephant legs
z	Rectangular entities	car, book, sandwich, folded clothes
g	Two-wheels vehicle /vegetal entities / entities composed by two long thin parallel parts	bike, motorbike / tree, plant, vegetable / horns, tusks
a	Round entities	ball, round fruits, eyes, eggs
<	3D thick round/cylindrical entities	bus, glass, bottle, trunk
:	Bended surface entities	zodiac, ballot
=	Semi-round entities	spoon, catapult
s	Long small flat entities	knife, tongue, paint brush, rabbit teeth, rabbit ears
j	Entities composed by three long parts	fork, trident, three people
l	Flat 2D squared/rectangular/round entities	dish, ears, tray
i	Tiny entities / beak-shaped entities	fly, flying insect, polka dots / bird, beak, bird head
9	Big bird	big bird
z	Flat animate entities / flying small objects	reptile, bird legs / drone, satellite
>	Liquid entities / mass entities /	water flowing, fire, lava, spillage / people marching
5	Entities that spread from closed to open	geiser, flower, volcano
d e	Hook-shaped entities (the thumb is optional)	spring, open legs, hook, parrot beak, hook nose, eyebrows
)	Round or squared entities that can be opened	sprinkler, teeth, claw, oyster, big box
?	Liquid related entities / heat related entities	liquid (shower, rain, menstruation heat (radiotherapy, sun, sunflower)
(	Large amount of water	giant wave, tsunami
V	Rectangular thin entities	eyebrow shape, paper pad
o	Thin cylindrical/round entities	eyes, stains, thin pipe, OVNI
+	Thin small entities	eyelids
7	Small protruded entity	nipple
#	Very thin entities	cup, tea, detach a paper, peel, skin
c	Flat rectangular entities/L-shaped entities	angle, vagina, picture, geometric shapes, drill
p	Extremely thin and small entities	hair, thin stripes
3	Thin entities held with the hand	to close curtains, fan, nightstick, to hold a stick