1. Survival Signs
List 2

2. NURSE DOMINANT (D) NON-DOMINANT (ND) HANDSHAPE U S PALM ORIENTATION
DOWN UP
LOCATION
On ND hand
SS (neutral sign space)
MOVEMENT
Tapping twice
No movement
NMMs/NMSs
Neutral

3. HURT, PAIN, ACHE DOMINANT (D) NON-DOMINANT (ND) HANDSHAPE 1
PALM ORIENTATION
DOWN TO
LOCATION
SS near ND hand*
SS near D hand*
MOVEMENT
Twist inward once/twice or tapping
Twist outward once/twice or tapping
NMMs/NMSs
Pained
Special note: you can put the sign near forehead for HEAD-ACHE, near abdomen for STOMACHE, and cheek for TOOTHACHE.

4. SICK, ILL, DISEASE DOMINANT (D) NON-DOMINANT (ND) HANDSHAPE Open 8
Open 8 or open B
PALM ORIENTATION
TOWARD
LOCATION
Forehead
Abdomen
MOVEMENT
Small circular movement inward or touch once
NMMs/NMSs
“feeling sick”

5. ROOM, OFFICE DOMINANT (D) NON-DOMINANT (ND) HANDSHAPE Open B
PALM ORIENTATION
Left then toward
Right then toward
LOCATION SS
MOVEMENT
Single movement to form “box”
NMMs/NMSs
Pleasant, friendly, or neutral O
or B O
or B

6. PRINCIPAL DOMINANT (D) NON-DOMINANT (ND) HANDSHAPE P S
PALM ORIENTATION
DOWN
LOCATION
SS over ND hand SS
MOVEMENT
Circular around ND hand then touch back of hand
NMMs/NMSs
Pleasant, friendly, or neutral
Special note: when there is no movement – you can leave it blank or insert “no movement”

7. SECRETARY (right hand) DOMINANT (D) NON-DOMINANT (ND) HANDSHAPE U
Open B
PALM ORIENTATION
L then down UP
LOCATION
Ear SS
MOVEMENT
Change of movement: ear to ND hand, then slide across the palm of hand
NMMs/NMSs
Pleasant, friendly, or neutral

8. HELP, ASSIST (right hand) DOMINANT (D) NON-DOMINANT (ND) HANDSHAPE
Open A
Open B
PALM ORIENTATION L Up
LOCATION SS
MOVEMENT
Upward
NMMs/NMSs
Pleasant, friendly, or neutral
Special note: modern sign for HELP is “incorrect”. I will show you the historical sign for HELP and how to evolve to the “correct” modern sign.
Reason for “incorrect” – ND is supposed to be passive and D to “help” the ND but the modern sign flip-flopped the hands.

9. PRACTICE, TRAIN, DRILL (right hand) DOMINANT (D) NON-DOMINANT (ND)
HANDSHAPE A
1 or B
PALM ORIENTATION
AWAY
TOWARD
LOCATION SS
MOVEMENT
Double movement (back and forth)
NMMs/NMSs
Neutral

10. FIRE (right hand) DOMINANT (D) NON-DOMINANT (ND) HANDSHAPE 5
PALM ORIENTATION
TOWARD
LOCATION SS
MOVEMENT
Circular movement outward, fingers wiggling
NMMs/NMSs
Neutral

11. ESCAPE, FLEE, EVACUATE (variant 1)
(right hand)
DOMINANT (D)
NON-DOMINANT (ND)
HANDSHAPE 1
Open B
PALM ORIENTATION
AWAY
DOWN
LOCATION
SS, between fingers of ND hand SS
MOVEMENT
One movement, outward/away
NMMs/NMSs
neutral
Special note: EVACUATE has two variants, show only one for now.

12. START, BEGIN, INITIATE (right hand) DOMINANT (D) NON-DOMINANT (ND)
HANDSHAPE 1
Open B
PALM ORIENTATION
DOWN
TOWARD
LOCATION
SS, between fingers of ND hand SS
MOVEMENT
Twist once
NMMs/NMSs
Neutral

13. STOP (right hand) DOMINANT (D) NON-DOMINANT (ND) HANDSHAPE Open B
PALM ORIENTATION
left up
LOCATION SS
MOVEMENT
One direction down
NMMs/NMSs
Neutral

14. FINISH (right hand) DOMINANT (D) NON-DOMINANT (ND) HANDSHAPE 5
PALM ORIENTATION
left
Right
LOCATION SS
MOVEMENT
Twist to down palm orientation
NMMs/NMSs
Neutral, mm:FISH
Special note: mm: is mouth morpheme. Not capital MM – it means continuous as in WORK mm:MM, DRIVE mm:MM, SITTING mm:MM.

15. BE-CAREFUL (variant 1 and 2)
DOMINANT (D)
NON-DOMINANT (ND)
HANDSHAPE K
PALM ORIENTATION
LEFT
RIGHT
LOCATION
SS on ND hand
SS underneath D hand
MOVEMENT
Circular movement up-and-outward
NMMs/NMSs
Cautious
Variant 2
DOMINANT (D)
NON-DOMINANT (ND)
HANDSHAPE K
PALM ORIENTATION
LEFT
RIGHT
LOCATION
SS on ND hand
SS underneath D hand
MOVEMENT
Tapping twice
NMMs/NMSs
Cautious

16. PAY-ATTENTION DOMINANT (D) NON-DOMINANT (ND) HANDSHAPE Open B
PALM ORIENTATION
Left
Right
LOCATION
Temple
MOVEMENT
Double movement, outward
NMMs/NMSs
Neutral
Special note: FOCUS, CONCENTRATE is similar to PAY-ATTENTION but has B handshape and one movement outward.

17. LOOK (right hand) DOMINANT (D) NON-DOMINANT (ND) HANDSHAPE V/2
PALM ORIENTATION
Toward
LOCATION
Above cheek near eye
MOVEMENT
One direction outward
NMMs/NMSs
Neutral, mm:LR
Special note: mm:LR-LR is “Look at that!” and is used to point with finger instead of signing LOOK. You can sign big to get attention or sign small to tell someone subtle.

18. READ DOMINANT (D) NON-DOMINANT (ND) HANDSHAPE V/2 Open B
PALM ORIENTATION
Down Up
LOCATION
On ND hand SS
MOVEMENT
Slide down or slide down left and right
NMMs/NMSs
Neutral

19. WRITE DOMINANT (D) NON-DOMINANT (ND) HANDSHAPE Baby O Open B
PALM ORIENTATION
Down Up
LOCATION
On ND hand SS
MOVEMENT
Slide across up and down or slide across loop
NMMs/NMSs
Neutral

20. PAPER DOMINANT (D) NON-DOMINANT (ND) HANDSHAPE open B Open B
PALM ORIENTATION
Down Up
LOCATION SS
MOVEMENT
Circular movement inward, tapping ND hand
NMMs/NMSs

21. BOOK DOMINANT (D) NON-DOMINANT (ND) HANDSHAPE Open B PALM ORIENTATION
Left then up
Right then up
LOCATION
SS, touching ND hand
SS, touching D hand
MOVEMENT
Open hands like book
NMMs/NMSs
Neutral