CL: A-modified
CL: B
CL: B-bent
CL: B-cupped
CL: C
CL: C-claw
CL: C-modified
CL: F
CL: G
CL: H
CL: H-bent
CL: I
CL: I-1
CL: ILY
CL: L
CL: L-bent
CL: O
CL:
O-flat
CL: R
CL: S
CL: V
CL: V-bent
CL: X
CL: X-modified
CL: Y
CL: 1
CL: 3
CL: 3-claw
CL: 4
CL: 5
CL: 5-claw
Definition of a classifier:
A set of handshapes that represent classes of things that share similar characteristics. Classifiers are essentially used to modify nouns. Classifiers, if used correctly, clarify the message, highlight specific details, and provide an efficient way of conveying information.
They can be used to:
describe the size and shape of an object.
represent the object itself.
describe how it moves.
describe how it relates to other objects and or people.
Rules:
Classifiers have to be introduced. So, prior to using a classifier
identify the object. If we are going to talk about Jane, who is not in the
classroom - I'll spell her name. Or if I'm talking about my sister, then I
sign "sister" prior to using CL: 1 or CL: V. (Sister, CL1:
bumped-into old boyfriend) Or if I'm talking about baseball, I'll identify
the ball before using the CL:3-bent.
An effective classifier mimics the natural movement or shape of the referred
object. If using a CL: O-flat to represent a dinosaur, the head ought to
jog/jab forward to represent the animal's long strides; or if using the same
handshape for a cobra, the hand must mimic it's side to side dance.
Classifiers often work best in conjunction or tandem with other classifiers, if
you want to provide exacting details. For example, if you want to describe
a couch, you can use the CL:V-bent (sign "sit) and then 2 CL:C (palms down,
hands moving outward).
Classifiers appeal to the visual sensibilities. It is the
conceptualistic story, art in motion. The goal is to clarify, paint a
precise picture of your object looks like, of what happened. In a car
crash, what happened to the car? Did the driver hit you from the side, the
front? What happened to you? Did you hit your head on the stirring wheel
or fly through the window?
Also:
While I have attempted to create a comprehensive list of classifiers, this list
is a work in progress and therefore not complete. It is also not meant to
be representative, in its entirety, of all the classifiers that are being used
in American Sign Language, or how they are being used. I simply
listed those that are either most common, or those that I've seen and/or used
myself.
The best way to learn how to use classifiers is by getting out in the Deaf
community and observe the masters. Meet and chat with those who are native
Deaf, CODA (children of deaf adults), SODA (siblings of deaf adults), and
interpreters. Engage in conversations, interact, and learn.
Used for:
Inanimate objects in specified locations: a house on a street, a statue or vase on a table, a lamp on a desk.
Used for:
Smooth, flat surfaces: road or runway; wall, hallway,
ceiling, floor, shelf
Flat mobile surfaces: surfboard, skateboard, snowboard, people
mover (moving sidewalk)
Inanimate objects in specified locations: pictures on a wall, books on
a table, racecar on a road
Inanimate objects in specified positions: books lined upright on
a shelf, papers facing down
Height and width: a person's height, the width of a box, a stack of
books
Delineating 3 dimensional objects: house, box
A non-motorized riding device: horse, bicycle
Used for:
Curved objects: bowl, sink, basin or a digging device
Used for:
Smooth, flat surfaces: a long
stretch of desert or road
Describing a object with sharp corners: the top of an area, such as a
shelf or refridgerator
Used for:
Long cylindrical objects: pipe,
canal, tunnels
Short cylindrical objects: cup, glass, bottle
Thick cylindrical shapes: tree trunk, biceps
Thickness or depth of an object: a book, pizza, blanket,
stack of papers, snow fall.
Clusters of objects in specified
location: a group of students in the back room, a cluster of flowers
Sections: location of a room in a house, sections of a city, an
article or column in a newspaper
Large objects in a specified location: a house out in the middle of
nowhere, a camper on the back of truck
Medium, round, flat objects: cookie, badge, small cap (yarmulke), a
large dial,
Small spherical objects (with fingers closer together): clown nose,
bulging eyes
Large spherical objects (two hands): ball
Teeth: commonly used for baring teeth, multiple fangs
Used for:
Small round flat objects: a disc,
gold nugget, piece of food, moon
Height and/or width of small objects (similar to CL:
G): a small bottle of perfume, a short pencil, a long screw or nail
Large pinchers: parrot beak
Used for:
Small, thin, round objects:
button, coin, polka dots, pepperoni, pepper shaker
Long, thin, cylindrical shaped objects: stick, dowel, curtain rod,
small roll of paper, water hose, faucet
Eye gaze: a person looking up or down, eyes moving back and forth, a
person rolling his eyes
Person moving along: hiking, walking, wandering around
Used for:
Short or shallow depths: thin
layer of ice, shallow water, a small stack of papers
Flat and thin with squared edges: picture frame, ruler, strip of paper
Thin shapes (in general): mustache, sideburns, collar
Small Pinchers: beak of a small bird, tweezers
Used for:
A variation of CL: V: legs
together, standing on a sidewalk, a person on a surfboard
Thin flat objects: boards, bacon, noodles, name tag or badge, label, band aid
Lathering device: spreading butter or frosting, a dog licking a
person's face
Used for:
Fastening small objects to something else (using a clasping movement): badge, earrings, hair barrette, paper clip
Used for:
Very thin and long objects: string,
yard, wire, thread, cherry stem
Defining boundaries: line, line that one does not cross
Used for:
Animals with two horns: bull,
ox, cow
Pronged items: goal posts, pitch fork, forklift, and the start of a
gun (at the beginning of a race)
Objects with sharp borders for roofs and loose sides: tent, canopy,
circus, castle
Used for:
Type of airplane: with slight finger modifications, airplane can become a supersonic jet (CL: RY), a space ship (CL: XY) Movement: landing, take off, skidding on a runway, crashing in midair
Used for:
Thin squared objects: placemat,
driver's license, greeting card
Thin squared objects in a specified location and or position: pictures
on a wall, mirror, a window frame
Objects with a short barrel: drill, welding device, gun (pistol),
laser,
Used for:
Circular or oval shaped objects:
(similar to CL-C-modified, but larger) dish, rug, platter
Thin round surface: lake, round table, paint spill, round mirror,
puddle of water
Spraying device (with index wiggle): window cleaner, water gun
Used for:
Thick medium sized, cylindrical objects:
rod, tree branch, pipe, large cable, firehouse, salt shaker
Viewing devices: goggles, telescope, binoculars
Used for:
Small squat objects (with rounded end):
very fast race car
Objects that are round at the bottom and a slight opening at the top: tulips, closed flower bud
Animals with long necks: giraffe, llama, goose, swan, dinosaur, cobra
Thick Claws: (slight modification of CL:O-flat>CL:5) lobster,
crab
Used for:
Braided or twisted material: rope,
cable, braids, curled strands (hair or ribbon)
Short, round, somewhat thick with narrowed tips: cigars
Used for:
Solid, spherical objects: head (of a
person or animal); head bobbing, head retreating (into shell)
Ramming device: pistons of a car engine, fist (or anything solid that can
be jammed in or packed in tight) Cranking handle: window crank, old
fashion ice cream machine
Long thin round hand-held objects: spear, large stirring spoon, rake handle
Used for:
People (or rather legs of people): laying down, standing up, legs together, kicking
Two long thing things, parallel to one
another: train tracks
Two pronged device: fork, forklift
Groups of 2: 2 people walking together or standing
Scissoring object: scissors, claws of a crab or
lobster
Used for:
Seated (person or animal:
crouching, squatting, hunched down, perched
Bending knees: climbing stairs or mountains, jumping, sitting
Arrangement of chairs: chairs in a semi-circle; circle or semi
circle; multiple rows
Thin pulling object: bow string, pulling wire (to signal the bus to
stop)
Sliding device: sled, roller skates
Raking device: parallel scratch marks or paint streaks
Sets of teeth: chattering teeth
Head of an animal with floppy ears: rabbit
Two pronged teeth: most commonly, snake, vampire, squirrel or
chipmunk
Long objects with a connective ending: bones, joints
Used for:
A person or animal that is crouched or
hunched over (using a modified version of CL: 1): a person who skulks,
slinks, shrinks or slouches.
A scratching or digging device: scratch or scar, a digging or chipping
apparatus (such a pick ax or mining tool)
Anything with a hook: boat anchor, door latch, fishing hook, talons,
tow, bat (animal), beaked nose
Long curved sliding device: ice skates, skis
Used for:
Small objects commonly held between
fingers: key or winding device
Small bulbous objects: onion, garlic
Used for:
Wide or long objects: hippopotamus'
mouth, long word, high heels (stilettos)
Objects with handles: beer mug, pitcher, and in some instances,
suitcase, luggage, or briefcase
Long curved object: cow horn, smoking pipe, telephone
Spanning the width or breadth of an object: ruler
Used for:
Long, skinny objects: most commonly,
a singular person
Small cylindrical objects: sticks, pencils
Delineating 2 dimensional objects: poster board, plot of land, circle,
diamond (any shape)
Trajectory paths and or connections: one way street, two way
street, intersection, ball flying midair, a snake moving across a surface, tears
Animals that crawl: (slight modification CL:1>CL:X) caterpillar, snail
Used for:
Motorized vehicles: car,
tractor, helicopter, bus, motorcycle
Vehicle related events: parking a car, driving erratically, parallel
parking, garage, car accident
Groups of 3: 3 people crossing the road
Feet: duck feet, hiking, walking, position of feet as a person walks
Liquid spray over large surfaces: spray painting a car or house
Used for:
Small objects gripped by the index, thumb
and middle finger: computer mouse, baseball, bowling ball
Large beak: commonly used to represent birds of prey, eagle,
falcon (if placed in front of mouth)
Hands: (modification of CL:5-claw) particularly for scaling or
climbing large object, wall, boulder
Hands that are stashing: stocking shelves, investing in stocks
Containers held by index and thumb, requiring ejection of contents (using
thumb): needle, vaccinations
Parallel lines: stripes, bars,
fence, upright boundaries
Objects that leak: bleeding, drool, running water, draining (ear,
sink, pipes)
Objects that flow: curtains, hair, streamers
Group of 4: 4 people standing or walking together
Traffic: (using a modified 4 or 5 handshape) traffic jam, multi-lane freeways
Used for:
Stiff and straight: hairs or
fur that stand on end, Mohawk
Objects that are extremely porous: filters, screen, wind, breeze
Group of 5: 5 people standing or walking together
Large flat object: a serving platter, flat lid
Flowing porous objects (using a modified 5) CL:5 > CL:O or CL:O > CL: 5:
headlights, flashing lights, sunlight, shower
Objects that have projectile movements: vomit, diarrhea, flash flood,
copious tears
Delineate height or movement of water: ocean, flood, rising water, waterfall
Traffic: (using a modified 4 or 5 handshape) traffic jam, multi-lane
freeways
Upright objects viewed while traveling very fast: commonly used
to describe blurred scenery while driving very fast.
Used for:
Scads of (too many to count): stars
in the sky, freckles, audience or crowd, basket full of clothes, gobs of money
Objects that are rough, jagged: rake, the plowing device on a large
tractor
Objects that are withered or curled up: withered tree
Representing groups of people sitting together: carpool
Hands: (modification of CL:5-claw) particularly for scaling or
climbing large object, wall, boulder