American Sign Language

Alternative forms

• The final location of this sign indicates the direct object, the thing called or named.

Production

• This two-handed ASL sign is produced as follows:
  1. 
     Posture the nondominant hand in the “H” handshape a few inches in front of the center of the chest. Posture the dominant hand in the “H” handshape dominant hand on the radial (thumb) side of the extended finger of the nondominant hand, the dominant middle finger crossing the nondominant index finger.
  2. Move both hands outward toward the literal or figurative location of the direct object (the thing called or named).
  3. Posture the nondominant hand in the “H” handshape in front of the center of the chest. Posture the dominant hand in the “H” handshape dominant hand on the radial (thumb) side of the extended finger of the nondominant hand, the dominant middle finger crossing the nondominant index finger.

Verb

(ASL gloss: NAME, NAMED)

1. (transitive) to name (someone or something); to call (someone or something)
2. (with no syntactic direct object) to be called; to be named
   • 2007, D. Dunn, ASL Interp speech from Martin Luther King's Dream:

     (ASL gloss) R-E-V M-A-R-T-I-N L-U-T-H-E-R K-I-N-G M-L-K^KING NAMED MOST INSPIRATIONAL SPEAKER....

     "Reverend Martin Luther King (sign name M-L-K^King) has been called the most inspirational speaker of...."

Conjugation

This is an indicating verb. Its final location indicates the direct object, the recipient of the name. When used in contexts that omit the object, it is produced in citation form with just a short forward movement toward nothing in particular.

Related terms

• H@RadialFinger-H@CenterChesthigh Contact Contact ‎(“a name”)