ASL has a wide variety of sign vocabulary when it comes to country signs.

Some of these signs were developed to meet the needs of the educational systems and thus, have a strong Signed English influence.  For example, the initialized Scandinavian signs (which tend to make a small circular movement in front of the forehead:  Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland.

Other signs were borrowed from native signers from the countries in question.  Examples include:   Norway (initialized, showing progressively higher mountains going from non-dominant chest height to dominant shoulder height), Denmark (CL:vehicle sailing from non-dominant chest to dominant chest),  Sweden (a kind of  5-hand to o-hand "plucking" on the back of the hand ... this was adapted from the Swedish sign itself which has the motion midway between wrist & elbow); Finland (x tapped on the chin).

The tendency in modern ASL appears to be to adopt (and modify) the signs used by native signers.  However, many Deaf feel that this form of "political correctness" may go too far.  And, in terms of practical matters of usage, older Deaf individuals tend to prefer the signs they learned while growing up and thus, use the more "traditional" signs.  Younger Deaf individuals, especially those influenced by the multi-ethnic, multi-cultural associations formed at Gallaudet University, still find some favor in the more "politically correct" signs.

There is no right or wrong. Change in language (and rejection of that change, creating further change or counter-change) is perfectly normal.  If languages didn't change, they'd stagnify and die.

But which signs should you use?

If your goal is to
        Communicate with the Deaf people around you.
                Use the ones that your friends use and recognize.
        Interpret, you need to know them all :)
                Use the ones your Deaf client prefers.
        Teach, you need to know them all :),
                Teach the students both versions, but warn them that the
                    PC may be considered controversal by some signers.

Here's just SOME of the discussion generated on TeachASL:
Dale Foust <Shbug01@AOL.COM> states:

If you want to learn signing, LISTEN TO THE DEAF.  They know their language better than the rest of us ever will and their "opinions" should be regarded as "law" :-)  ...  trust the Deaf in your area for the correct sign for YOU  :-)

In my Deaf Studies course (which includes discussions on international Deaf organizations and events like WFD, CISS, DWG, Deaf Way, etc), I show both the ASL signs and that country's native signs for countries and major cities.  Where there may be more than one native sign (e.g. formal, casual, and regional), I use the sign officially used at Congresses of the World Federation of the Deaf.  The country signs used at the WFD and CISS Congresses are the official signs selected by that country's national association of the deaf.

My experience is that more and more Deaf people, especially those who have traveled and attended international Deaf events, are using one or the other, or both signs.  This is why I decided to teach both the common ASL sign and that country's national sign in my classes.  When known, I also give historical information on the evolution of each sign (some French Deaf friends told me that the reason why some French Deaf wiggle their hand while signing FRANCE or FRENCH with the F-handshape is because the lower three fingers represent the French tricolor (3-colors of the French flag).  In the USA, we use the same F-handshape but with a flick of the wrist instead of the wg movement.

The best single source of International country signs I have found so far is "Gestuno: International Sign Language of the Deaf" (<---click on link to order it) published for the World Federation of the Deaf by British Deaf Association.

Now some of those "new" signs, stay just the way they were in the "old country" ... ie the "new" sign for Russia (which looks remarkably like "cut throat" to me :o ... now if I were being truly "politically correct" };-} <--evil grin  I don't think I'd call my new Russian allies "cut throat" :) ... but hey, it's their sign ... so on the other hand, why not?

It's my understanding that the sign for Sweden, in Sweden, is a plucking gesture at the forearm (nearer to the elbow)*.  We may have started out copying that, but in our own way, we changed it and made it FEEL more ASL by moving it down to the back of the hand.  What that shows me, as a linguist, is not that ASL is rolling over and playing dead for other foreign sign languages, but that ASL is interested in being open-minded and accepting of variations -- yet still with a strong enough personal identity that we don't mind making a few changes here and there to meet OUR needs :)

Lastly, as someone who is stuck between two worlds (in more than one direction :), it makes sense -- to me -- to know all the signs that are used -- not to correct my older Deaf friends (they correct me, not I them :), nor to badger my younger friends (they badger me, not I them :) ... but to be informed and aware of double possibilites.   You say "toe-may-toe"; I say "toe-mah-toe" -- cool -- but anyway you slice it, we both eat that red, juicy, thing with small edible seeds inside it :)

*Editor's Note ... this statement in itself raised controversy, see Maggi Cobb-Wessling's comments under Sweden :)

Doug Stringham

I did have an interesting experience with Deaf Asian Hawaiians when I lived on Oahu some years back.  Upon my arrival, I used the traditional ASL signs for China, Japan, Korea, etc. Suffice it to say, I was reprimanded pretty quickly and was told to use the "newer" signs for these countries. When in Hawaii, sign as the Hawaiians?...:)

James Womack:
    [Editor's note, James' initial comments are in reference to the traditional signs for oriental people which may have originally started as initialized sign at the encouragement of hearing educators of the Deaf]

Certainly, there are signs for this ugly purpose, certainly, even the sign under discussion can with a facial expression, signing demeanor, and body language be contrived to be stated offensively. But the sign itself does not have this history.

Africa, the sign is related to the usual American conceit as portrayed by Hollywood. A bunch of people with rings in their noses. This is the image foisted of on us for ages. The Deaf picked this up and ASL's sign was to denote this image, but bear in mind, it was meant to be just a word. No, I am not fond of that sign, nor the one for Negro, but  neither was truly a product of planned malice. Now, when Europeans referred to Africans as "devils", that was different. They had this view that black is evil, hence devils. The odd thing is that in some African and Asian groups, white denotes evil and at least one African tribe did refer to whites as devils. Of more interesting, it was a special type of devil spirit in their myth known for stealing away children, which is what Europeans did. Back to ASL, the signs referred to here were meant to be just words denoting a group of people. They were not meant as insults per se.

The new sign for Africa is interesting. It is reputed to be the proper "African" sign but is not such thing. African is a big continent will many tribal groups and they don't share the same cultural and lingual views. As a matter of fact, I unintentionally provoked anger from one African guy when I signed the newly popular in American sign for Africa. He told me it means a person with a long neck and among his people that is an insult. yet among another tribe, it is considered such a desireable beauty trait, they wear neck rings to elongate the neck and the neck would flop down and suffocate the person if these rings were removed during their adult lives. The new sign is American and a certain Jack Burns came up with it during a theaterical rehearsal in Los Angeles back in the mid-1970's.

[Editor's note:  The following comment was in reference to how signs are created "spur of the moment" to facilitate communication and then later may be incorporated into a language's lexicon.]

 
That will happen with hearies too when confronted with the new and unfamilair. They will create a term where none existed before. ... How do you think Native Americans got called Indians? Or the Toho' OOdam Oh' got called Pima. or the Innuit got called Eskimos?

Any culture that provides "itself" with a name for another cultural group is inherently racists because they are conveying their own perception of this group. Whether or not offensive intent is meant.

Terms in one culture can mean something entirely different in another. The "ok" gesture of thumb and forefinger making an "O" is considered an insult in some countries, for example.

Here is a list of the Country Signs compiled by the members of TeachASL.  Traditional signs (and variations) are listed first; Politically correct signs (and variations) are listed second.  These signs are, of course, controversial and subject to a great deal of change and modification (read the above section for some of the discussion/argument which showed up on TeachASL ... or check the archives for the full story).  Additional information about the signs actually used in foreign countries is also included.

TeachASL is not advocating ANY sign or signs ... we're just reporting all that we find :)  Only time will tell which will survive.  And only the Deaf will decide for, after all, ASL is, ultimately, their language.

Nancy Murray <rbmurray@FLASH.NET> recommends the following web site that describes indigenous signs for countries done by David Bar-Tzur at http://www.rit.edu/~dabdis.  This is a fantastic resource.  Thanks, Nancy & special thanks to David Bar-Tzur for creating it!
 
 

Africa (Continent)
    Both versions of this sign, traditional & "PC" are controversial.
    TS:    'A on the nose'
    PC1:    Tracing the shape in the air with a flattened 'C' to a flattened 'O'
    PC2:    Hand makes a sort of "O" that opens to a five then closes again while moving downward (denotes the shape of the continent).

Karen B Staller:
    Additional controversy exists because some Deaf believe this sign was invented by a hearing person rather than a Deaf person.

Ed Ingham:
    First learned the sign when African-American Deaf Nathie Maubury, who said it evolved from Black Deaf Advocates. (Editor's note, according to Ed, Jack Burns -- see James Womack's comments below -- " Jack and Nathie, and a few others, started the Los Angeles Chapter of BDA.")  "When I first learned Sign at Gallaudet in the early 1960's, the Gallaudet sign for Africa was the "5" handshape with the middle finger bent forward and circling the nose.  It later evolved to the "A" handshape circling the face once (like the sign for pretty). I always had a feeling that the middle finger sign was offensive but not the "A" circling the face sign."
 

James Womack:
    "Jack Burns, a Deaf Black man in Los Angeles, ... created the African sign. He did it because they needed something that coudl be easily seen from the stage and looked nice too. ... Acording to him, it never was meant to replace the ASL sign for Africa, but people jumped on it and ran with it.

    There is no one unifom sign for it [Africa] among the African Deaf nations. Indeed, when I used the sign you describe above to what I think was a Kenyan, he got upset. Apparently in his country this is an insult. Something about a person
with long neck, I think.

    Oddly, I always perceived the ASL sign for Africa as a variatin of "pretty" with the handshape being obviously "A"
instead of same motion made by the closing "5." It was the middle finger sign held away from the spreaded circling the nose version I found offensive. It implied empty-headiness to me (blank stare). Besides, it looks a lot like contact lens."

Heidi Hales:
    I was told the "PC" sign to use is the one that looks like the outline of the continent.  Almost signed like Co. ... I was interested in your sign derivations.  I met a Deaf man from Africa who said the original sign was not offensive at all to him because it was merely an initialized sign for "continent" where the closed 5 hand, palm in, circles the face.  A friend of mine met another man from Africa who uses the old sign because he says it is the sign for "beautiful" initialized with an "A" to mean his beautiful people....and I was always taught it was meant to draw attention to the shape of the nose.
 

American (Native American)
    TS:  F-hand, cheek to head (warpaint & feathers)
    PC:  Touch back of hand like "WARN" (no slap), just the rubbing motion (clockwise).  Don Grushkin:
 

Austrailia
    TS:  B-hand twists at forehead (looks like the Aussie hat's brim)
    PC:  8-hands, flicking outward ... like Kangaroos running across the plains
 
 

China
    TS:  Index finger at the eye, twisting.
    PC:  Index finger on opposite shoulder, across the chest, then down the side
W. David Samuelsen
    Was told by a visiting Deaf Russian that RussianSL used the PC sign for China.
 
 

Denmark
    TS:    D-handshape in a circular motion in front of the forehead.
    PC:  3-handshape sails across chest from non-dominant to dominant side.

W. David Samuelsen
    "3" - start on opposite side of stomach, wave across the stomach.  ...my friends' trip to WGD Summer Games in Copenhagen.
 
 

England
       TS:    Dominant B-hand pulls back non-dominant B-hand.
        PC:   BSL's sign for "E.  Index finger one hand and index finger of another hand - make a cross then move one as if in SHAME, but back and forth. (from W. David Samuelsen)

Doug Stringham:  Britian's sign for its country is made by rubbing the back side of the dominant index finger  back and forth on the back side of  the non-dominant index finger; similar to TEMPERATURE, but the non-dominant's hand faces down (pronate).
 

France
    TS:  F-hand twisted at the wrist
 
 

Finland:
    TS:  F-hand circles at forehead
    PC:  x-hand taps at chin

Germany
    Older TS:  Index finger pointing up on head (old German helmet style).
    TS:  double handed 5-handshape sign (Nazi's Phoenix/Eagle).
    PC:  Index finger pointing up on head (old German helmet style).

W. David Samuelsen
    Germans don't care for the double handed sign (our traditional sign).
 
 

Iran
     Thumb held down onto palm and tapped twice.
 

Ireland
    TS:  modified POTATO sign with a circular motion first, then the contact of the bent V on the back of the non-dominant hand.

Doug Stringham:  Deaf Irish use the modified POTATO sign  in Ireland, too.  A newer [Deaf Irish] sign for Ireland is based on their sign for SHAMROCK--it is a repeated flick at one's lapel. This is reported to have some negative connotations--a feeling of disdain or "none of my business"--with other UK Deaf.
 

Italy
    "G" handshape in neutral space, moving downwards and to the right (in an upside-down "7"),  with the thumb and forefinger closing towards the end of the movement.  Supposed to represent the shape of the country (the "boot").

Doug Stringham (Utah) reports:  Italy's "newer" sign caught on for a while here, but I don't see it as much any more.
 

Norway:
    TS:  N-hand circles at forehead
    PC:  N-hand moves in a "mountain top" pattern from non-dominant chest to dominant shoulder
 
 

Japan
    TS:    pinkie twists at eye
    PC:    formation of two large islands with the thumbs & index fingers with palms facing down.
 
 

Poland
    A-handshape, knuckles touching the chest at opposite side of arm (conntralaterally), moving towards the same side of the body (Ipsilaterally).

Karen B Staller:
In Poland ... closed-5 handshape, bent at joint with hand, fingertips tap opposite side of chest between breast and collarbone, then tap other side. This is from a second-generation (at least) Deaf Pole who lived there until he was a teenager and now lives here.
 

Romania
Karen B Staller:  The Romanian sign for Romania is the American sign for football - palms facing each other, fingertips touching, then hands closing to thumb and fingertips on each hand touching and hands moving away from each other.
 

Russia
    TS:    5-hands at the waist, showing Russian dancers.
    PC:    Index finger, start on opposite side of chin, pull across chin. (opposite of USA's lie sign)
 

Scotland:
    TS:  PLAID on the shoulder.

Doug Stringham reports:  Deaf friends who also lived in the UK and Scotland ... [report Scotland's] traditional sign is made by flapping one's "wing" in the motion of bagpipe
playing. This is commonly used in the UK.
 
 

Sweden:
    TS:  S-hand circles at the forehead.
    PC:  5-hand changes to O-hand in a plucking motion on the back of the non-dominant hand.

Maggi Cobb-Wessling:  I learned this [sign] in 1979 at Gallaudet from an interpreting student FROM Sweden--she did it on the hand, not the arm.
 

United States of America
    TS:  5-hands cross at fingertips (in front of chest) and circle ... melting pot or old fashioned wooden rail fences

Ed Ingham:  The Statue of Liberty sign for the United States was used in France in the 1960 and 1970's but has apparently gone out of favor since World Federation of the Deaf published a book with ... signs for different countries in the early 1970's.  Another European sign for the USA was the USA Army salute especially used in West Germany during the Iron Curtain years. That sign also has become obsolete.

meshka tac <meshkat@HOTMAIL.COM> writes:

It is important to remember that the native users of sign are often using signs that are really a play on sigs or puns. States and Countries are a big one in this catagory. I have seen a lot of beginnig sign language students use some questionable and risque signs(the humor just went over their heads). They think that is the actual sign.  so i always tell them to watch several Deaf and see what standard sign is being used.

Joy Nation <joy_nation@HOTMAIL.COM> gives some wonderful examples of this:

Wanna giggle?
Wanna grin?
Wanna ho-ho-ho,
A-har, and a-hooray?
Get ready....here goeeessss....

New 'Yawk' (New York) signs I've seen:

1.  Left palm open, upright, right hand shape 'y' (downwards) moves across
palm twice.
2.  Left palm open, facing downward, right hand shape 'y' (pointed upwards)
moves across palm twice.
3.  Left palm open, upright, right hand in shape of ILY (airplane, airport)
-was told Kennedy Airport- moves across palm twice.
4.  Left palm open, facing downward, right hand in shape of ILY (airplane,
airport) -was told ... southern airport representing the southern part of
NY...interesting...
5.  A DEAF from NY made sign 'y' (alhabet) twice under his armpit.  (I did
not make this doozy up, I promise ye!)

Interesting comments made regarding the sign's production or history sometimes appear after the list.  Certain signs are attributed to specific contributors if I haven't run into them frequently, not to try and dispute anything or to try and be contentious, but rather to give the readers an opportunity to contact these individuals on TeachASL and ask for more information, if desired.  There is such a wealth of regional variations -- not to mention register -- that this is a fascinating part of ASL and deserves further study.
 
 

Alabama:
    #ALA

    thumb I placed on the nose to make #ALA repeatedly. Almost like thumbing your nose at someone.  James Womack
 

Alaska:
    Open 5-hand with thumb touching side of face, palm out, outlining fur parka.  Doug Stringham

    Open 4 with side of index touching side of face, palm out, sliding down the side of the face to the chin.

   "C" handshape moving from left side of head (if you're  right-handed), over the head and to the right side of head. Susie McMullen

    2-handed, A-hands, outlining fur parka, from top of head to chin.  Alysse Rasmussen
 

Arizona:
    #AZ
    like TWIN, only with the A-handshape
    like DRY, only with the A-handshape

Arkansas:  #ARK
 

California:
    GOLD
    Like sign for GOLD, only done repeatedly.  Susie McMullen
 

Colorado:
    "C" handshape on arm - sign like mountain

    COLOR+#ADO  (joke sign, not accepted by Coloradians)

    COLOR+#DO    Joy Nation recently met some Colo Deaf, and they are using the 'joke' sign: color-a-d-o, only the 'a' seems absent on most of hands, looks like color-d-o.

Brenda Dawe from MI states that a Deaf student (native Coloradan insisted that some Deaf Coloradans actually use the COLOR+ADO sign as an accepted, non-joking sign).  Editor's Note:  It may be that some Deaf Coloradans accept this sign ... or that the student's role models were hearing teachers/interpreters who were not proficient in ASL and thus, did not get the joke.  If the influence -- of the sign itself -- is strong enough and not ostracized by the Deaf community, it may "grow" on us. :)
 
 

Connecticut:  #CONN
 

Delaware:
    #DEL
 

    D-hand twist ... Shroyer's book shows a sign that looks like the ordinal number FIRST, index finger straight up.  Doug Stringham
 

Florida:
    #FLA in a small circular motion, like lexicalized TOYS
    in NY they sign in "F" down the cheek, like TAN, Robin Portnoy
 

Georgia: #GA
 

Hawaii:
    "H" handshape around the eyes (like scuba mask)

    hula-left hula-right

    #HAWAII (a few native Hawaiians) with their palm faced *in* towards themselves.  Doug Stringham
 

Idaho:
    #IDAHO

    POTATO, Doug Stringham
 

Illinois:  #ILL
 

Indiana:
    #IND

    INDIAN
 

Iowa:  #IOWA
 

Kansas:
    #KAN
    #KANSAS
    #KS  Susie McMullen
 

Kentucky:  #KY
 

Louisiana:
    #LA
    Editor's Note:  There are reports of another version, but since no one will sign it, I suspect it may be pretty gross :)

Maine:

    #MAINE

    This one is HARD to describe!! sign committe with an f-handshape. See where your hand ends up? For Maine, start there and bring your hand up and forward. Karen B Staller

    BENEFIT repeated; looks very similar to PITTSBURGH.  Doug Stringham
 
 

Maryland:  #MD
 

Massachusetts:  #MASS
 

Michigan:
    #MICH

    "pointing on the 5-hand" variant.  Doug Stringham
 

Minnesota:  #MINN
 

Mississippi:  #MISS
 

Missouri:  #MO
 

Montana:
    Montanans use both "M-hands" to draw an "M", begin at the bottom of the "v" in the letter M, go diagonally then go straight down.  W. David Samuelsen.

    Both hands in the "M" handshape forming the tops and sides of a large rectangle.  Susie McMullen
 

Nebraska:  #NEB
 

Nevada:
    #NEV

    #NV

    "N" on one hand, moves over palm of the other like the sign for PROGRAM.  James Womack.

    "NV" is used to sign PROGRAM, where you begin with the "N" on the palm and end with the "V" behind the back of the hand.  James Womack
 

New Jersey:  #NJ
 

New Hampshire:  #NH
 

New Mexico:
    NEW + MEXICO

    #NM
 

New York:
    Left palm open, upright, right hand shape 'y' (downwards) moves across
palm twice.

    Left palm open, facing downward, right hand shape 'y' (pointed upwards)
moves across palm twice.  (joke sign, mildly derogatory)

    Left palm open, upright, right hand in shape of ILY (airplane, airport) -was told Kennedy Airport- moves across palm twice.  Joy Nation

    Left palm open, facing downward, right hand in shape of ILY (airplane,
airport) -was told ... the southern airport representing the southern part of
NY

    'y-hand' twice under armpit.  (joke sign, derogatory)

Ed Ingham:
    "I have seen that "Y twice under the armpit" signs many times, dating as far back as my Gallaudet days in the 1960's.  That sign is taken to mean that NYC is the pits!

Karen B Staller:
    "I've also seen it signed at another part of the body, but I'm a lady!!"
 

North Carolina:
    #NC (while hand is moving up as in "North")
    #NC (not moving)
 

North Dakota:
    #ND (While hand is moving up as in "North")
    #ND (not moving)
 

Ohio:
    #OHIO

    "O" handshape -movement around little

    KNOW-NOTHING (derogatory)
 

Oklahoma:
    #OKLA

    #OK
 

Oregon:
    "O" and shake as if salting (raining)  ... most popular in Oregon, W. David Samuelsen

     "O" from shoulder (opposite of Washington's sign) and "pour" ... loosing favor, W. David Samuelsen

    #OR

    Sign for STATE using O-hand.  Karen B Staller.

    #OREGON.  Alysse Rasmussen
 

Pennsylvania:
    #PA

    #PENN
 

Rhode Island:  #RI
 

South Carolina:
    #SC (while hand is moving down as in "South")

    #SC (not moving)
 

South Dakota:
    #SD (While hand is moving down as in "South")

    #SD (not moving)
 

Tennessee:  #TENN
 

Texas:  the "7" movement sign with an "X"
 

Utah:  #UTAH
 

Vermont:  #VT
 

Virginia: #VA
 

Washington:  Like "Washington DC" without the DC (duh)
 

West Virginia:
    #WV (with hand moving to the left as in "West"), common

    #WV (not moving)
 

Wisconsin:
    #WIS  ... native Wisconsinites tend to use this one, see article for discussion

    #WISC
 

Wyoming:
    #WYO

    #WY

Many city signs take the shape of a '7' swept in front of the signer's chest.

The list is alphabetical by city.  Additions, corrections,  etc should be sent to the editor, Alysse@cde.com.

Atlanta, GA
     A-handshape, thumb-tip touching the chest at opposite side of arm (conntralaterally), moving towards the same side of the body (Ipsilaterally).

Daytona Beach, FL
    D-hand flicks to #B

    D-hand flicks to #B on back of non-dominant B-hand

Ft Lauderdale, FL
    #FT + L-hand circles slightly

Gainsville, FL
    G-hand strikes against back of non-dominant B-hand

Lady Lake, FL
    L-hand (pointing toward non-dominant shoulder) from chin to chest, twice.  Created by local Deaf community.

Lakeland, FL
    L-hand in neutral space, center body to dominant side, arching bounce

Leesburg, FL
    #LB, same as sign for lexicalized "pound".  Created by John Edwin Hunter, Deaf man.

Miami, FL
    M-hand, palm up, strikes against back of non-dominant B-hand

Ocala, FL
    O-hand strikes against back of non-dominant B-hand

Orlando, FL
    #ORLANDO

    Dominant O-hand circling under non-dominant B-hand

    Dominant O-hand rubbing on more upright non-dominant B-hand

    O-twisted at chin (perhaps based on DisneyWorld sign #DW on chin), attributed to Deaf ASL instructor Jose, but also thought to be a bit of a joke since he only taught it to hearing students :)

Pensacola
    P-hand, then C-hand is tapped against non-dominant palm (like LAWYER but without the downward movement)

    another sign exists, which may be far more common in the Pensacola area, but I've only seen it once and I forgot :(

Tampa
    T-hand is tapped against the non-dominant palm (like LAWYER but without the downward movement)

St Augustine, FL
    INSTITUTE (as is traditional for most cities which house state Deaf schools)

St Petersburg, FL
    S-hand, then P-hand is tapped against non-dominant palm (like LAWYER but without the downward movement)

    S-hand (dominant side) moves to P-hand (non-dominant side) imitating the sign SENIOR CITIZEN (joke sign)

Washington, DC
    W-hand, dominant side, circles/swirls outward + #DC

Created 11/27/1999
opyright, 1999 Alysse Lemery Rasmussen
Last modified 11/27/99