SCC Sign Language Linguistics Project

Documentation on natural sign languages for conlangers

Battison's sign types, hand arrangement

This page is incomplete and/or missing citations!

Most signs cross-linguistically can be categorized into 4 phonological types based on the number of hands involved and their configuration. This typology is useful for describing the phonotactics of sign languages and was introduced in Battison 1978.

Type Description
Type 0/X 1 handed signs
Type 1 2 handed signs, both hands have the same handshape, location, and movement
Type 2 2 handed signs, one moves and the other is still, but both with the same handshape
Type 3 2 handed signs, one moves and the other is still and with a different handshape

References