SignWriting Hinge Hand with Thumb Between Middle and Ring Fingers

It marks one handshape; the full sign gives it context.

𝢄 marks a hinged hand with the thumb between the middle and ring fingers. SignWriting uses groups of symbols to write many signed languages, so this handshape alone cannot name a word: the surrounding sign and the language being written determine the reading.

Valerie Sutton created DanceWriting in 1966 to record ballet movement. In 1974, researchers at the University of Copenhagen asked her to adapt it for signed-language movement. During its development, Deaf readers’ feedback helped shape SignWriting into a writing system for signed languages.

Why does 𝢄 look incomplete by itself?

A written sign combines the handshape with other symbols.

In plain text, 𝢄 is a base glyph. Separate fill and rotation characters can alter the handshape; movement, location, contact, and face or body symbols contribute other details. SignWriting arranges these pieces in a signbox, the bounded area for one written sign.

A font may display 𝢄 while an app still cannot lay out a whole sign. An empty box means the font lacks the glyph; an unassembled sign points to missing SignWriting-aware layout support.