The Dailies

Word of the Day

Ample (adj., AM-pull)

Large. Great in size or amount. Having a big capacity. Sufficient. Bulky, too. Like this definition, just enough but probably not more.

Gif of the Day

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Link of the Day

Internet Slang meets American Sign Language

This past December, the Oxford English Dictionary (the dictionary of choice for stuffy wanna-be linguists) added terms like "lolcat" and "duck face." English, like any language, has to adapt.

One of the languages that has more challenges adapting to new terms is American Sign Language. Unlike many languages, which can develop norms via writing, American Sign Language depends on standard physical gestures, and no two people do the same sign alike. Take, for instance, the "five-second rule":

or "onesie":

The two people performing the signs are 12-year-old Brooklyn resident Tully Stelzer and ASL artist Douglas Ridloff. The two of them demonstrated how they would sign a number of modern slang terms. The signs are interesting, and their discussion of why they chose each sign is also fascinating.

Tags LanguageAmerican Sign LanguageArtistic interpretationCh-ch-changes