The Art of Naming in ASL: Descriptive and Arbitrary Name Signs Explained

These "name signs" have been researched and were found to have followed specific rules. For a detailed description of these rules and a baby sign name dictionary, see Samuel Supalla's book, "The Book of Name Signs: Naming in American Sign Language".

Difference Between Descriptive Name Signs And Arbitrary Name Signs

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There is one more reason a person might have a combination name sign. Sometimes people who don't understand the rules of name signs mistakenly give a name sign to a person. Some hearing professors of sign langauge, interpreters, or teachers give sign names without realizing they are in violation of Deaf culture traditions.

A: Fingerspelling for personal names is the only translation. Because, name signs are independent from spoken-language personal names on one's birth certificate. Name signs are created and gifted by Deaf people to members of Deaf community. Deaf parents also give name signs to their children.

Here is a few links to the Learn-section tutorials: learn how to introduce your name in American Sign Language and learn more about how name signs are given in Deaf culture and the types of name signs, including descriptive name signs and arbitrary name signs as well as some examples of name signs..

The American signing community most commonly uses arbitrary name signs. Family units sometimes choose a particular location to express their handshapes. Some exceptions do occur, as a few married women choose to keep the maiden initials in their name signs.

So who am I? Thanks to a patient Deafblind husband who comes from a signing Deaf family, I received my new name. It is arbitrary in the sense that a handshape is used, but the handshape comes from the digibet, not the English alphabet. It is descriptive in the sense that it evokes a certain characteristic but does not encompass all that I am and do.

All signs are formed using a specific handshape. Below are some common handshapes used in American Sign Language. It is important to know the names of these handshapes because ASL classes, dictionaries, and instructors use these terms to describe how to create signs. Changing the handshape of a sign changes the meaning of a sign, so it is important to know how to accurately form these handshapes.

Suggestive names require just the right amount of imagination to get from the word itself to the meaning you want to build, but in doing so they bring audiences along on the journey. They invite us to create our own associations with the word by hinting at, rather than dictating, its meaning. They also engage audiences better than descriptive or arbitrary names can; suggestive names immediately create affinity by encouraging people to form their own mental and emotional connections to the name. Particularly in highly saturated markets and industries, suggestive names help companies stand apart by being simultaneously explicative and creative.

Suggestive names are also inherently easier to balance in terms of marketability and protectability. While descriptive names require little effort to define, they are near-impossible to own. And while arbitrary names demand copious amounts of education and explanation, they are far easier to trademark. Suggestive names give you room for ownership AND opportunity for affinity. Win-win!

Some brand names that started out as descriptive or suggestive, like Aspirin and Escalator, became generic when customers used them to describe a class of products. The process is known as genericide.

Like generic names, descriptive names are not eligible for trademark protection, because nothing prevents your competitors from making the identical descriptive claim. And yet real-world descriptive examples abound: Three-Day Blinds (which sells window blinds that are ready to pick up three days after you place your order), All Bran cereal, FlatRate Moving. (Despite the descriptiveness, FlatRate Moving filed for trademark protection in July 2013; status is pending.)

In the American deaf community and American Sign Language (ASL), there are cultural norms regarding ASL name signs; for example, they must be agreed upon by the named person and the broader deaf community. This ensures that no one else in the community already has the same sign name or that the same sign has a different meaning. Until a person receives a sign name, the person's name is usually fingerspelled,[1] rendering a letter-by-letter representation of a person's English-language name.[2]

Linguist Samuel James Supalla identifies name signs as having dual functions: to identify persons and to signify "membership in the Deaf community."[2] Different deaf cultures have different customs around sign names. For example, in the deaf American community, sign names are usually subdivided into two naming systems: descriptive (DNS) and arbitrary (ANS).[3] Descriptive names manually illustrate descriptions of the person (for example, personality or physical appearance) and are conveyed through classifier handshapes, and an arbitrary name sign corresponds to initials (or to the first letter of a spoken name) applied to one or more locations.[3][2] A third category, nontraditional name signs, combine elements of the arbitrary and descriptive.[2] An ANS sign is usually just a unique sign without other meaning, but there may be family patterns, like all the children in a family having names signed at the chin.[3] Name signs may change over the course of a user's life.[2]

While name signs were originally exclusive to deaf people, some hearing people who use ASL and interact with the deaf community also have name signs.[2] Prominent individuals with no direct connection to deaf culture are sometimes also assigned name signs; for example, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, William Shakespeare, and Vincent van Gogh all have name signs.[2] Contemporary non-deaf figures, such as elected officials, are sometimes also given name signs.[2] For example, after becoming Vice President-elect of the United States, Kamala Harris was assigned a name sign consistently of a rotation of the wrist completed concurrently with the unfurling of the thumb, index and middle finger; the sign was partly derived from the sign for lotus flower (which is what "Kamala" means in Sanskrit) and from the number three (representing Harris as the first vice president to be a woman, African American, and Asian American).[2]

Marks that are primarily surnames (such as "SMITH SHOES" or "RODRIGUEZCOMPUTERS") are treated the same as descriptive marks under U.S. trademark law. As aresult, surnames are not given protection as trademark until they achieve secondary meaningthrough advertising or long use. A trademark is "primarily a surname" if the publicwould recognize it first as a surname, or if it consists of a surname and other material thatis not registrable.

Generic "marks" are devices which actually name a product and are incapable offunctioning as a trademark. Unlike descriptive marks, generic devices will not become atrademark even if they are advertised so heavily that secondary meaning can be proven in themind of consumers. The rationale for creating the category of generic marks is that nomanufacturer or service provider should be given exclusive right to use words that genericallyidentify a product.

Their originality means that evocative names are generally easier to trademark than descriptive names. It can sometimes be challenging to get corporate buy-in on an abstract evocative name that requires unpacking, though.

Just as with other languages, specific ways of expressing ideas in ASL vary as much as ASL users themselves. In addition to individual differences in expression, ASL has regional accents and dialects; just as certain English words are spoken differently in different parts of the country, ASL has regional variations in the rhythm of signing, pronunciation, slang, and signs used. Other sociological factors, including age and gender, can affect ASL usage and contribute to its variety, just as with spoken languages.

Descriptive NamesWhat are they: Descriptive names are words that literally describe what it is, what it does, or how it works. Meaning when you look at the name you should know what it is or does. A descriptive name for a video game console could be 3D Gaming. You can see subtle differences between Gaming Console and 3D Gaming. Here we are starting to get more into the specifics of how the product works by providing high definition gaming experiences.

Many business owners want to use their surnames for their business. If you are considering using your surname, you should be aware that surnames are treated like descriptive marks. In other words, they will not be protected as trademarks if they are primarily used as surnames until they achieve secondary meaning. A trademark application for a surname is not automatically denied because it is a surname, however. Extremely rare or obscure surnames will not necessarily need proof of a secondary meaning. Also, a mark that is partly a surname and partly fanciful, arbitrary, or suggestive sometimes may be registered even if the surname portion cannot be registered independently.

If your prior registration is for a design mark with words, and the new application is for words only, it may be enough to show ownership of one or more previous federal registrations of a descriptive mark. Producing evidence of substantially exclusive use works better for marks that are either surnames or not highly descriptive. When marks are highly descriptive, you will need to show actual evidence of secondary meaning. This can take the form of consumer surveys, consumer testimony, proof of exclusive use, the length of time the mark was used and how it was used, the amount of customers, an established position in the market, or proof of intentional copying.

Should Devils Tower be called Bear Lodge? Is Tacoma a better moniker than Mount Rainier? Around the country, activists are fighting to change place names they deem offensive, hurtful or arbitrary, and national parks are frequently the targets of these campaigns. 2ff7e9595c