Sign Language Among North American Indians Compared With That Among Other Peoples Part 24

Move hand to position in front of breast, fingers extended, palm downward (W), then with quick movement throw hand forward and to the side to a point 12 or 15 inches from body, hand same as in first position. (_Sahaptin_ I.)

For further remarks on the signs for _good_, see page 286.

HABITATION, INCLUDING HOUSE, LODGE, TIPI, WIGWAM.

---- HOUSE.

The hand half open and the forefinger extended and separated; then raise the hand upward and give it a half turn, as if s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g something. (_Dunbar_.)

Cross the ends of the extended fingers of the two hands, the hands to be nearly at right angle, radial side up, palms inward and backward, thumbs in palms. Represents the logs at the end of a log house.

(_Creel_; _Dakota_ IV.)

Partly fold the hands; the fingers extended in imitation of the corner of an ordinary log house. (_Arapaho_ I.)

Both hands outspread near each other, elevated to front of face; suddenly separated, turned at right angles, palms facing; brought down at right angles, suddenly stopped. Representing square form of a house. (_Cheyenne_ II.)

The fingers of both hands extended and slightly separated, then those of the right are placed into the several s.p.a.ces between those of the left, the tips extending to about the first joints. (_Absaroka_ I.) "From the arrangement of the logs in a log building."

Both hands extended, fingers spread, place those of the right into the s.p.a.ces between those of the left, then move the hands in this position a short distance upward. (_Wyandot_ I.) "Arrangement of logs and elevation."

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 253.]

Both hands are held edgewise before the body, palms facing, spread the fingers, and place those of one hand into the s.p.a.ces between those of the other, so that the tips of each protrude about an inch beyond.

(_Hidatsa_ I; _Kaiowa_ I; _Arikara_ I; _Comanche_ III; _Apache_ II; _Wichita_ II.) "The arrangement of logs in a frontier house." Fig.

253. In connection with this sign compare the pictograph, Fig. 204, page 379, _supra_. In ordinary conversation the sign for _white man's house_ is often dropped, using instead the generic term employed for _lodge_, and this in turn is often abbreviated, as by the Kaiowas, Comanches, Wichitas, and others, by merely placing the tips of the extended forefingers together, leaving the other fingers and thumbs closed, with the wrists about three or four inches apart.

Both hands held pointing forward, edges down, fingers extended and slightly separated, then place the fingers of one hand into the s.p.a.ces between the fingers of the other, allowing the tips of the fingers of either hand to protrude as far as the first joint, or near it.

(_Shoshoni and Banak_ I.) "From the appearance of a corner of a log house--protruding and alternate layers of logs."

Fingers of both hands interlaced at right angles several times; then the sign for LODGE. (_Kutchin_ I.)

_Deaf-mute natural signs_:

Draw the outlines of a house in the air with hands tip to tip at a right angle. (_Ballard_.)

Put the open hands together toward the face, forming a right angle with the arms. (_Larson_.)

----, Stone; Fort.

Strike the back of the right fist against the palm of the left hand, the left palm backward, the fist upright ("idea of resistance or strength"); then with both hands opened, relaxed, horizontal, and palms backward, place the ends of the right fingers behind and against the ends of the left; then separate them, and moving them backward, each through a semicircle, bring their bases together. The latter sign is also that of the Arapahos for _house_. An inclosure. (_Dakota_ IV.) The first part of this sign is that for _stone_.

---- LODGE, TIPI, WIGWAM.

The two hands are reared together in the form of the roof of a house, the ends of the fingers upward. (_Long_.)

Place the opened thumb and forefinger of each hand opposite each other, as if to make a circle, but leaving between them a small interval; afterward move them from above downward simultaneously (which is the sign for _village_); then elevate the finger to indicate the number--one. (_Wied_.) Probably he refers to an earthen lodge. I think that the sign I have given you is nearly the same with all the Upper Missouri Indians. (_Matthews_.)

Place the fingers of both hands ridge-fas.h.i.+on before the breast.

(_Burton_.)

Indicate outlines (an inverted V, thus ^), with the forefingers touching or crossed at the tips, the other fingers closed. (_Creel_; _Arapaho_ I.)

Both hands open, fingers upward, tips touching, brought downward, and at same time separated to describe outline of a cone, suddenly stopped. (_Cheyenne_ II.)

Both hands approximated, held forward horizontally, fingers joined and slightly arched, backs upward, withdraw them in a sideward and downward direction, each hand moving to its corresponding side, thus combinedly describing a hemisphere. Carry up the right and, with its index pointing downward indicate a spiral line rising upward from the center of the previously formed arch. (_Ojibwa_ V.) "From the dome-shaped form of the wigwam, and the smoke rising from the opening in the roof."

Both hands flat and extended, placing the tips of the fingers of one against those of the other, leaving the palms or wrists about four inches apart. (_Absaroka_ I; _Wyandot_ I; _Shoshoni and Banak_ I.) "From its exterior outline."

Both hands carried to the front of the breast and placed V-shaped, inverted, thus ^, with the palms, looking toward each other, edge of fingers outward, thumbs inward. (_Dakota_ I.) "From the outline of the tipi."

With the hands nearly upright, palms inward, cross the ends of the extended forefingers, the right one either in front or behind the left, or lay the ends together; resting the ends of the thumbs together side by side, the other fingers to be nearly closed, and resting against each other, palms inward. Represents the tipi poles and the profile of the tipi. (_Dakota_ IV.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 254.]

Place the tips of the fingers of both hands together in front of the breast, with the wrists some distance apart. (_Dakota_ V.) Fig. 254.

Fingers of both hands extended and separated; then interlace them so that the tips of the fingers of one hand protrude beyond the backs of those of the opposing one; hold the hands in front of the breast, pointing upward, leaving the wrists about six inches apart. (_Dakota_ VII, VIII; _Hidatsa_ I; _Ponka_ II; _Arikara_ I; _Pani_ I.)

The extended hands, with finger tips upward and touching, the palms facing one another, and the wrists about two inches apart, are held before the chest. (_Mandan and Hidatsa_ I.)

Place the tip of the index against the tip of the forefinger of the left hand, the remaining fingers and thumbs closed, before the chest, leaving the wrists about six inches apart. (_Kaiowa_ I; _Comanche_ III; _Apache_ II; _Wichita_ II.) "Outline of lodge." This is an abbreviated sign, and care must be taken to distinguish it from _to meet_, in which the fingers are brought from their respective sides instead of upward to form the gesture.

Another: Place the tips of the fingers of the flat extended hands together before the breast, leaving the wrists about six inches apart.

(_Kaiowa_ I; _Comanche_ III; _Apache_ II; _Wichita_ II.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 255.]

Another: Both hands flat and extended, fingers slightly separated; then place the fingers of the right hand between the fingers of the left as far as the second joints, so that the fingers of one hand protrude about an inch beyond those of the other; the wrists must be held about six inches apart. (_Kaiowa_ I; _Comanche_ III; _Apache_ II; _Wichita_ II.) "Outline of Indian lodge and crossing of tent-poles above the covering." Fig. 255.

Fig. 256 represents a Sahaptin sign given to the writer by a gentleman long familiar with the northwestern tribes of Indians. The conception is the same union of the lodge poles at the top, shown in several other signs, differently executed.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 256.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 257.]

Place the tips of the spread fingers of both hands against one another pointing upward before the body, leaving a s.p.a.ce of from four to six inches between the wrists. Fig. 257. The fingers are sometimes bent so as to more nearly represent the outline of a house and roof. Fig. 258.

This, however, is accidental. (_Pai-Ute_ I.) "Represents the boughs and branches used in the construction of a Pai-Ute 'wik-i-up.'"

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 258.]

Place the tips of the two flat hands together before the body, leaving a s.p.a.ce of about six inches between the wrists. (_Ute_ I.) "Outline of the shape of the lodge."

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 259.]

Left hand and right hand put together in shape of sloping shelter (_Kutchin_ I.) Fig. 259.

---- Great Council House.

Place both flat and extended hands in front of the shoulders, pointing forward, palms facing; then pa.s.s them straight upward and slightly inward near the termination of the gesture. This appears to combine the gestures for _much, large_, and _lodge_. (_Arikara_ I.)