F
Face. Sweep the flat right hand, palm in, across the face and down. This is sometimes used for Person.
Fr. la figure; Ger. das Gesicht.
Fade. See Melt.
Faint. Signs for Die and Recover.
Fr. s’évanouir, faible, épuisé; Ger. ohnmächtig werden, schwach.
Fall or Tumble. The right flat hand in front of breast, back up, swept briskly out, forward up and down, to rest palm up. Compare Another and Lie Down.
Fr. tomber; Ger. hinfallen.
Fall. See Autumn.
Fall (Of water). Sign River or Creek, then hold out flat left, back out, and push flat right over it, bending right fingers over far edge, making them tremble.
Fr. la cataracte; Ger. der Wasserfall.
Fail, that is, to lack success. See Cannot.
Fail (In business). Sign Work, Backward. (Blackfoot.) The Backward is indicated by holding the flat left well forward, drawing the flat right back in jumps.
Fr. faire faillite; Ger. bankerott werden.
False. See Lie.
Fame. See Glory.
Famous (Standing on a hill). Sign Hill, then over that hold right G, palm forward, index just above left thumb. Or, sign Chief and Brave.
Fr. fameux, célèbre; Ger. berühmt.
Far object, Distant or Far forward, Over there. Move the G hand forward and upward in a long slow arch, finishing at arm’s length with down curve.
Far (In general). Flat right hand curved, pointing to left, back forward, pushed out and up at arm’s length. Compare Close.
Fr. loin; Ger. entfernt.
Farm. Sign Land and Planting.
Fr. la ferme; Ger. der Pachthof.
Farmer. Sign Corn and Chief.
Fr. le fermier; Ger. der Ackerbauer.
Fast, Quick, Rapid, or Swift (Pass by). Hold out the flat left hand, back to left. Bring the flat right hand, back to right, several inches in rear of and slightly to right of left, pointing to front and downward; carry right hand swiftly past left and close to it, and as it passes, by wrist action, raise the hand so that fingers will point upward and in front, making a curve; at the same time, draw back the left a little.
Fr. rapide, vite; Ger. schnell.
Fat (Shape of a fat animal’s hips). Hold the fists out side by side, thumb to thumb, then swing them apart in two curves, up, out, down, and a little forward. Compare Done and Break.
Fr. gras; Ger. fett.
Fat or Grease. See Oil.
Father (Nurse, male). With compressed right hand, pluck at the right breast two or three times, as though drawing out milk. Sometimes add Male. Compare Mother.
Fr. le père; Ger. der Vater.
Father-in-law. Sign Brother-in-law, Old, and Man.
Fault-finding (Striking, knocking). With flat right hand, arm at full length, make a succession of short chops down. This is fault-finding with another. For “fault-finding with me” chop toward the breast. (Sheeaka.) See Abuse, Chop, and By itself. The Cheyennes use You, All time, Scold.
Fr. blâmer, censurer; Ger. das Tadeln.
Fear, Cowardice, Coward. The head stooped down and the right arm thrown up, palm out, as though to ward off danger. (Sheeaka.) The Cheyennes understand, but prefer Woman, Heart. See Afraid.
Fr. la peur; Ger. die Furcht.
Feather (Small). Pluck an imaginary feather from left arm with index finger and thumb of right hand and blow it away from the mouth with one puff, at same time opening the finger and thumb to let it go.
Feather, i.e., Quill Feather. Sign Wing, then make as though pulling out and holding up One feather.
Fr. la plume; Ger. die Feder.
Feel (That is, heart feels). Place the tip of the middle finger, others extended and lifted, against the heart; then draw it up a little way. (D)
Fr. sentir; Ger. empfinden.
Feel or Touch (to touch). The hand as above, but pushed forward and moved a little from side to side. (Sheeaka.) See Hot.
Feel or Touch. Hold out left flat hand, back up; press tip of right flat hand on it at various places. Compare At.
Fr. toucher; Ger. tasten, berühren.
Female or Woman. Draw the flat right hand, palm in close to the side of the head, finger tips about on line with the top of head; lower the hand, at the same time curving fingers as though combing with them the hair over ears and cheeks; finish with a snap at line of shoulders.
Two hands are used in the north. Compare Comb. For White woman indicate an immense hat. (Sheeaka.)
Fr. la femme; Ger. das Weib.
Fetch. See Bring.
Few. See Small.
Fight or War. Hold loosely clenched A hands well out in front of body, thumbs toward body, about height of shoulders and about three inches apart; bring right hand in toward body few inches, at same time move left out about same distance; then carry right out and bring left in, repeating these two or three times, making them by wrist and elbow action. This is a fight of many; for a fight of two, use the G fingers same way. In old days, according to Father Isadore, the signal for Battle was a handful of dust thrown in the air. The gesture of doing this came to mean Fight.
Fr. le combat, la guerre; Ger. der Streit, der Krieg.
Find. Sign Look around here and there, then shoot out the V hand and pick up an imaginary something with finger and thumb. Compare Choose and Hunt.
Fr. trouver; Ger. finden.
Fingers crossed, To claim Sanctuary. Also called Bar up, King’s X, King’s Cross, Pax, Truce, Fins, Fines, etc. Hold up right hand with first and second fingers crossed. This means “I claim privilege, what I do now is outside the game.” (Universal in our schools and probably very ancient.)
Fr. être exempt; Ger. die Immunität, verschont sein.
Finish. Hold out flat left, palm up; rub flat right on it, palm down, making two sunwise circles. Also use Done.
Fire (Blaze, flaring up with smoke). Hold the right hand down and forward at arm’s length, back in front of the body; fingers hooked so the tip of thumb is over the nails of first three fingers and holds them down; raise the hand six inches and spring the fingers upward, free, separate, and straight. Do this twice. Compare Aurora.
Fr. le feu; Ger. das Feuer.
Fire, Spark of. Hold up right thumb and index as though holding something and blow it steadily; add Fire if needed for clearness. Compare Feather (small).
Fr. l’étincelle; Ger. der Funke.
Fire, Set it afire. Make the motion of striking a match on the side of the thigh and thrusting it forward.
Fr. allumer; Ger. anzünden.
Fire off, Shoot, or Gun-Fire (Blaze shooting forward). Right hand in front of right shoulder; throw palm forward six inches and at same time straighten and spread all fingers with a jerk. Some add a hand clap or many for Volley firing.
Fr. décharger, faire feu sur, tirer; Ger. schiessen, abfeuern.
First (Of all, number one). Hold up left 5 hand, palm to right; push it forward, then tap the little finger with the right G. (Sheeaka. A Sioux sign, but understood by Cheyennes.) Compare Last and Guide.
First. Sign Ahead.
Fr. le premier; Ger. der Erste.
Fish. Make sign for Water; then hold flat right hand, back to right, in front of right shoulder, elbow high; and move the hand sinuously forward. Often omit Water. Compare Snake.
Fr. le poisson; Ger. der Fisch.
Fisher or Pekan. Sign Marten and Big (suggested, not established).
Fr. le pékan; Ger. der kanadische Marder.
Fix. Lay low edge of flat right hand on upper edge of flat left near thumb base. Push right forward and down, turning left back up. (C) Or, sign Work and All right. Compare Mend, Council, and Law.
Fr. ajuster, arranger; Ger. herrichten, in Ordnung machen.
Fix, In a Fix. See Quandary.
Flag. Hold flat right well out, back to right. Lay left G on wrist of right. Wave right sidewise.
Fr. le drapeau; Ger. die Flagge.
Flat. See Prairie.
Flesh. See Meat.
Float. Flat left hand, back up; place flat right on it, palm down, and move both to right as on waves. (C) Understood by Cheyennes.
Fr. flotter; Ger. oben auf schwimmen, auf dem Wasser treiben.
Flood. Indicate source of Water, then hold up both flat hands, backs up, side by side, waist high; raise them neck high and sign Charge. Omit Charge unless needed.
Fr. l’inondation; Ger. die Flut.
Flour. Sign Bread and Powder.
Fr. la farine; Ger. das Mehl.
Flower, Bloom, or Blossom. Sign Grass, but higher; then clasp right index and thumb over left ditto, others closed; then turn the hands so the little fingers touch and the thumbs point up. (C)
Flower. Sign Grow; hold both compressed hands together in front, pointing up, backs out; spring them out into 5 hands, forming a circle pointing up.
Fly (The insect). Sign Bird, Small; then point here and there on the arm anywhere. Sometimes omit Small.
Fr. la mouche; Ger. die Fliege.
Fly (To). With flat hands held near shoulders simulate wings, beating exactly as in Bird, but move the hands forward a foot or more horizontally. Compare Bird.
Fr. voler; Ger. fliegen.
Fog (Water, peep through). Sign Water and hold the 5 hands, fingers crossed, in front of the eyes. (C) The Cheyennes understand this, but prefer the next:
Fog (Mud in the sky). Sign Turtle, then raise both 5 hands, palms forward, from the horizon up high; then spread them out. This expresses “turtles in the sky”;
probably because the sky is clouded as is the water when the turtle moves in it.
Fr. le brouillard; Ger. der Nebel.
Follow or Chase. Left G hand pointing nearly up, moved ahead and variously pursued six inches behind by right G hand. Sheeaka used his thumbs for this.
Fr. suivre; Ger. folgen, nachlaufen.
Fond, Fondness, Love, Affection, Regard, etc. (Pressed to the heart). Cross wrists of A hands, backs out, over the heart, right nearest body, few inches from it; draw both against the body and bend the head over them. With one hand it is Like; with two hands, Love. (Blackfoot.) Compare Blanket.
Fr. affectueux; Ger. zärtlich, liebevoll.
Food. See Eat.
Fool, Do you take me for a. With the right G index, draw down the lower eyelid a little; as though to say, “Can you see any green there?” (Pop.)
Fr. le sot, me croyez vous bête? Ger. der Narr, denken Sie ich bin dumm?
Foolish. See Crazy.
Foolish or Unwise. Sign Crazy and Little of.
Fr. imbécile; Ger. närrisch.
Football signs. See [page 233].
Footprints (Visible walk). Sign for Walk and for See with the fingers pointed down. This is Human tracks; for Horse tracks, sign Walk with the index and thumb of each hand in a three-quarter circle, other fingers closed, and then add See as here.
Fr. les empreintes des pieds; Ger. die Fusztapfen.
Footrace. Sign Walk quickly, and Race.
Fr. la course à pied; Ger. der Wettlauf.
For (Giving to). Throw the flat right hand forward and palm down, slowly toward the object. Compare Stop, Give, and Wait.
For. Sometimes use Belongs. Hold out the two G hands nearly back up, a foot apart; swing them together till the G tips are about two inches apart. (Sheeaka.)
For. Lightly close the right as though it held some object, push it forward and upward, back to right. (Blackfoot.)
Fr. pour; Ger. für.
Forbid. See Defend.
Forest, Timber, or Woods. Hold both forearms upright, with all the fingers much spread, meaning Trees, the right hand nearest the body, its back against the palm of left; then separate them, drawing right hand toward the body, moving the left away and upward in a curve. See Tree.
Fr. la forêt; Ger. der Wald.
Forever. See Always.
Forgive. See Excuse.
Forget or Forgot (Swept from my brain). Touch the forehead with the right N finger. Shake the head and motion as though to brush away an imaginary fly from near the nose. (Sheeaka and Pop.) See Remember not.
Forget or Forgot. Clap right hand down on left (for surprise); lay right G, palm forward, on forehead, and add Hid.
Fr. oublier; Ger. vergessen.
Forward (In space). See Ahead.
Forward (In time). See Future.
Found it. Sign I Saw, then reach forward and with index and thumb pick up an imaginary object. Compare Choose.
Found it. At a distance, hold both hands high above the head, fingers closed, thumbs pointing toward each other. (Pop.)
Fr. je l’ai trouvé; Ger. ich habe es gefunden.
Found out, i.e., You are found out. Point forefinger at the person. (Sheeaka.) Or sign You, I, Understand.
Fr. démasqué; Ger. ertappt.
Four-foot. See Animal.
Fox. Indicate the size of animal and bushy tail.
Fr. le renard; Ger. der Fuchs.
Free, Escape, Safe, Save, Relief, Permit, Turn loose (Unbinding). S hands crossed at wrists. With an effort, break the imaginary bonds and throw the hands apart, turning palm sides up. Sometimes add Go. See Pardon.
Free, Wild, or Free of Incumbrance (Cut loose). Hold flat right hand in front of breast, fingers forward, back down; move by wrist action sharply to left a few inches; then jerk back to place two or three times as though cutting something loose. Compare Chop and Wild Animal.
Fr. libre; Ger. frei.
Freeze over, Form ice. Sign for Cold, Water, then raise and move till the flat hands are touching in front, side by side, backs up and at arm’s length. (C) See Ice.
Fr. geler; Ger. gefrieren.
Friend, Friendship, or Chum (Brothers growing up together). Hold right N hand in front of neck, palm forward, pointing up; raise it head high, slightly advancing it. Alliance is sometimes used, or even Peace.
Fr. l’ami; Ger. der Freund.
Frog (Water hopper). Water; then with compressed right hand make long hops forward.
Fr. la grenouille; Ger. der Frosch.
From. Touch digit of right G hand to right shoulder, then throw it in a long sweep up and forward. Sometimes Indians use flat hand for this.
Fr. de; Ger. von.
Frost. Sign, Cold, White, and Strong.
Fr. la gelée; Ger. der Frost.
Fruit. Sign Tree, then make a ring of right index and thumb, others closed, and place it here and there in the branches, and add Eat. Compare Berry, Leaf, and Money.
Fr. le fruit; Ger. die Frucht.
Full. See Enough.
Future (Time ahead). Make the signs for Time and Far ahead. See also Will.
Fr. futur, l’avenir; Ger. zukünftig, die Zukunft.