SignWriting Flat Hand, Thumb-Side View

It marks a flat hand shown from the thumb side. That describes a handshape, not a translation. A complete written sign can include symbols for movement, location, orientation, contact, the face, or the body. Their arrangement helps identify the sign, so a lone 𝡝 cannot tell you which sign-language word the writer intended.

If someone sends only 𝡝, treat it as an isolated symbol, an example, or incomplete notation. Ask for the surrounding sign rather than assigning it a universal gesture meaning.

Why was SignWriting created?

SignWriting began as an adaptation of dance notation. Valerie Sutton created its predecessor, DanceWriting, as personal dance notation in 1966. In 1974, researchers at the University of Copenhagen asked her to adapt it to record signs and gestures from video.

SignWriting later developed beyond dance notation and was used for different sign languages. Writers also adopted expressive styles and vertical columns. This handshape describes one part of a sign; the movement, location, orientation, and surrounding symbols determine the full reading.

How do I use 𝡝 in SignWriting?

It belongs inside a spatially arranged sign. In a SignWriting editor, the signbox is the two-dimensional area where a sign's symbols are arranged. Select this handshape, set its facing and rotation as needed, then place it with symbols for movement, location, contact, and expression. Position and overlap contribute to the written sign; this character alone is only one component.