How do sign languages work?
Hands Talk Too
How do sign languages work?
You've seen people talking with their hands — fingers flying, faces expressive, whole conversations happening without a single sound. How does that work? How can hands say "I'm hungry" or "That's hilarious" or "Meet me at three o'clock by the library"?
Sign languages are complete languages, just like English or Spanish or Mandarin — but instead of sound, they use space. Your hands are the words. The space in front of your body is the grammar. Your face is the punctuation and tone. All three work together, creating meaning in three dimensions.
