SignWriting Hand-Flat Split Centre Thumb Side

A handshape, not a complete sign.

In SignWriting, 𝡣 records a flat hand with a split centre and a thumb-side distinction; it does not name a spoken word.

SignWriting arranges handshapes with movement, location, contact, face, and body marks in two dimensions. Position and neighboring symbols contribute to a sign's reading, so this character alone identifies a hand formation, not a word.

Where did SignWriting come from?

SignWriting began as a way to record signed languages.

In Denmark in 1974, Valerie Sutton adapted the movement notation she had developed for dance at the request of sign-language researchers who wanted to record signed languages.

Danish schools used it by 1984. The same handshape can appear in different signed languages, so it has no universal word reading. SignWriting grew from Sutton Movement Writing and DanceWriting, a notation for movement and dance; Stokoe notation is a separate system for writing signed languages.

Why can the same character render differently?

The character and the full layout are separate.

SignWriting's two-dimensional layout positions basic symbols; fill or rotation marks modify a handshape. A font or renderer without SignWriting support may show a box even when the character is present.