O
Oath or Swear. Tap the chest with the tips of the flat right hand, then hold it at head height, palm forward. (Sheeaka.) Sometimes point to Heaven and Earth, then hold up flat right hand. (C) Neither is Cheyenne, but both are understood by them. See Promise. With right G make a small cross over the heart. (Pop.)
Fr. le serment, jurer; Ger. der Eid, schwören.
Obey. Make sign for Listen. For emphasis add Yes. Disobey is putting the flat hands over the ears.
Fr. obéir; Ger. gehorchen.
Obliged to. See Have to. (C)
Ocean. Sign Water and Very broad. Some add Salt.
Fr. l’océan; Ger. der Ozean.
Of (That from that). Hold right G hand out straight from right side, palm up; rotate the hand so the index tip describes a small half-circle inward and finally the palm is down. (D) Compare Luck.
Fr. de; Ger. von.
Offer or Propose. Hold the flat hands, palms up, near you, then move forward as though offering something. (Blackfoot.) The Cheyennes sign Want and Give.
Fr. offrir, proposer; Ger. anbieten, vorschlagen.
Office. Sign Writing House.
Officer. Sign Chief; or, if military, sign Chief, Soldier. Or indicate with the right index on the left shoulder or arm the insignia of the particular rank.
Fr. l’officier; Ger. der Beamte, der Offizier.
Offspring. See Child.
Often. See Many times.
Oil (Blowing oil off surface in pot). With both L hands form a big level circle; then tilt it low on forward side and blow across it. (Blackfoot, but understood by Cheyennes.)
Fr. l’huile; Ger. das Öl.
Oil or Grease. Hold out the flat left, thumb up; with right thumb on palm and right index on back (others closed); rub back and forth with short, quick jerks. Compare Thick, Thin, Bacon.
Fr. la graisse; Ger. das Fett.
Old (Walking with a stick). Hold right A hand, back to right, about twelve inches in front of right shoulder, about height of breast; move the hand a little upward, to front, downward and back into its first position on small curve, repeating motion. Compare Lame.
Fr. vieux; Ger. alt.
Old Man. Hold up the right index finger as in Man, then drop, crook, and swing it in Old. See Decrepit.
Fr. le vieillard; Ger. der Greis.
Old, How old are you? Sign Question, Snows, You; or Question, Counting, Colds, You.
Fr. quel âge avez-vous? Ger. wie alt sind Sie?
On or Upon. Lay the flat right hand, palm down, on back of the flat horizontal left, palm down. Compare At.
Fr. sur; Ger. auf.
Once. Dip the finger ends of the right compressed hand down against the palm of the flat left hand, bringing it away quickly. For Twice, do it twice, etc. (Sheeaka.) Compare This and Repeat.
Once (One go). Sign One with right G index and push it forward low down. (So, also, Twice is Two pushed forward, etc.)
Fr. une fois; Ger. einmal.
One who, or The man that does. See Doer.
Onion. Sign Potato and Bad, Smell.
Fr. l’oignon; Ger. die Zwiebel.
Only. See Alone.
Open. The flat hands together, palm to palm, opened out flat as a book. The same as Book with Writing omitted. Compare Day, Book, Shell, and Shut.
Fr. ouvrir, ouvert; Ger. öffnen, offen.
Opossum. Hold out the flat right, fingers doubled on palm, thumb straight up; move it forward level. The thumb represents the tail. This is an Australian sign given by E. C. Stirling. It is offered as a suggestion and as a reminder that the Sign Language is world-wide. The Cheyennes sign Tree, Climb, Hang by tail.
Fr. l’opossum, le (la) sarigue; Ger. das Opossum.
Opposite or Against. Hold the G fingers up opposite each other, pointing at each other. Compare Against.
Fr. opposé, en face; Ger. gegenüber.
Or. See Either. Sometimes use Different.
Orderly or Put in order. See Ready.
Ordinal Numbers. See Numbers Ordinal.
Other. See Another.
Other side. See Beyond.
Otter (Wrapping the hair plait). With right thumb, index and middle fingers together, others closed, describe a small spiral from near the right ear down. Because the otter skin was the kind used in strips to wrap the plaits of the Indians’ hair.
Fr. la loutre; Ger. der (die) Otter.
Our. Sign All, My.
Fr. notre; Ger. unser.
Out of. See Absent.
Outside or Out of. Make a semicircle of the left arm out level; drop the compressed right hand without and beyond the semicircle. Compare In, which it resembles, except in the last movement.
Fr. dehors, hors de; Ger. drauszen.
Over or Above. See Above.
Overcome. See Kill.
Overtake. Hold out flat left hand at arm’s length, palm forward, fingers pointing up; hold the right G hand near the breast, palm out, pointing up; move it forward till it strikes the left hand. Use the left G if only one is pursued. Compare Arrive there.
Fr. atteindre; Ger. einholen.
Owe or Debt (Recorded and given). Write on the left palm and swing it from you to me or otherwise, according to the case. (Sheeaka.)
Owe. Sign Trade, Time, Money, Give.
Fr. devoir; Ger. schuldig sein.
Owl. Sign Bird and Big-eyes; the latter by putting around each eye a half-circle of thumb and index. (For Horned Owl indicate the horns with G hands.) For Burrowing Owl, sign Owl, Hole, and Dancing.
Fr. la chouette, le hibou; Ger. die Eule.
Own. See Possession.