American Sign Language

Alternative forms

• The motion and orientation of the hand varies with the (physical or metaphorical) location of the two compared entities: Y@InsideChesthigh-PalmDownThumbBack Frontandback ‎(“same as me”)
• The palm may face forward instead of down.

Production

• This one-handed ASL sign is produced as follows:
  1. 
     Posture the dominant hand in the “Y” handshape about half arm's length in front of the dominant side of the chest, dominant palm facing down. The ulnar side of the hand or the little finger itself should be pointing toward the first object or reference location.
  2. Move the dominant hand side-to-side (toward the second object, then back toward the first, then back toward the second).
  3. 
     Posture the dominant hand in the “Y” handshape about half arm's length in front of the dominant side of the chest, dominant palm facing down. The radial side of the hand or the thumb itself should be pointing toward the second object or reference location.
  4. Hold the dominant hand briefly in this posture.

• Stokoe: ØY^≷

GUH Hand	LUH Hand	LUH Move	GUH Move	GUH Hand	LUH Hand
GUH Palm	LUH Palm	Second	Second	GUH Palm	LUH Palm
GUH Position	LUH Separation	Third	Third
Y			LUH Side-LUH Side
Down

Adjective

(ASL gloss: SAME-AS)

1. similar; same; alike

Derived terms

• Y@InsideChesthigh-PalmDown-Y@InsideChesthigh-PalmDown CirclesVert ‎(“same old, same old; as usual”)

Synonyms

• (similar; same; alike): 1@RadialHand-PalmDown-1@CenterChesthigh-PalmDown

Verb

(ASL gloss: SAME-AS)

1. (transitive, with an identified subject and a yet-to-be-identified object) to be like (something); to seem the same as (something); to be similar to (something)

   YOUR FAMILY LIKE WHAT? — “What is your family like?”

   • 2009, Michael DiMartino, Addicted - Sign Language - CaptainL0ver (“Captainl0ver interpreters Kelly Clarkson's song Addicted”), 0:29:

     YOU SUPPOSE LIKE DRUG. — “It's like you're a drug.”

2. (with two identified subjects) to be alike; to seem the same; to be similar

Inflection

The forms given above, with side-to-side movement, are used with subjects located at or referenced from opposite sides of the signer. For objects located at or referenced from other locations, the ulnar edge of the hand and the thumb point toward those locations and the hand moves between them:

• Second/third-person subject with first-person object: Y@CenterChesthigh-PalmDown Frontandback ‎(“to be the same as me; I am the same”)