Ben Fletcher

(A signed video about this post.)

At my work, it is sometimes essential that a specific meaning of a verb is emphasised.  The question is: how can the sign language interpreter distinguish between “integration” and “integrator“, for example?

The technique used in British Sign Language is to adapt the sign to reflect the specific meaning – for example, for “integration”, the basic sign for “integrate” is first signed and then this is followed up with “processor” – in one fast flow, as if both were one whole sign.  For the other word, “integration”, this is signed using “integrate” and then following this up with “set”.

The sign for “integration” is “integrate” + “going on”.

The following video demonstrates, in this order: integrate, integrator, integration, and integrating.

English: integrate + or, ion, e, ing…
BSL: integrate + “processor”, “set”, <nothing>, “going on”

Finally, it should be noted that adapting the basic sign to reflect the meaning needn’t be done if this needn’t be emphasised or can be taken as a given.

I hope all this makes any sense, but certainly, I hope, to demonstrate how rich British Sign Language can be.