Sign talk

by Ernest Thompson Seton

T

Table (Flat top, square shape). Swing flat hands, palms down, as in Broad turn sharply and draw both toward you; with a V hand on each side, strike down for legs, then sign On and Eat. A description, not an established sign.

Fr. la table; Ger. der Tisch.

Tail. Right G hand, back up, at left side, pointing back and down.

Fr. la queue; Ger. der Schwanz.

Take or Bring (From some one else). Reach out the G hand, hook the index and draw it toward you, in and upward, as though pulling a string up and back. Compare Steal.

Fr. prendre (de quelqu’un); Ger. nehmen (von Jemandem).

Take (From oneself). The same, but point index toward body, hook it and draw away.

Fr. prendre (de soi-même); Ger. nehmen (von sich selber).

Take from. See Subtract.

Talk or Say (A little talk). Hold right hand under mouth, index and thumb tips together, pointing forward, and move slightly forward, snapping the index from behind the thumb two or three times. Compare Called, Telltale, Speech, Bark.

Fr. parler; Ger. sprechen.

Talk, to me. Make the same gesture as above, but point and draw the hand toward the cheek.

Tall or High. Move the flat right straight up to arm’s length, back out.

Fr. grand, haut; Ger. hoch, grosz.

Tangle or Tangled. Revolve the 5 hands, in and out, one about the other. Compare Play.

Fr. embrouiller; Ger. verwirren.

Taste. Join the first finger and thumb, rest their points on the lower lip and work the lips. Compare Salt, Sugar, Sour, and Bitter.

Fr. goûter; Ger. schmecken.

Taste bad (To taste and throw away). Sign Taste and Bad. (Seger.)

Fr. avoir un goût mauvais; Ger. schlecht schmecken.

Tattler. See Telltale.

Tattoo. Tap the place with all five finger tips in a point.

Fr. tatouer; Ger. tätowieren.

Tea (Stirring it). Trace the rim of the left O hand with the thumb and finger tip of the right O hand, other fingers extended. (Sheeaka.) Compare Stir. Or sign Leaf, Drink.

Fr. le thé; Ger. der Tee.

Teacher. Sign Writing and Chief. See also Guide.

Fr. le professeur; Ger. der Lehrer.

Team. Sign Horse, Two; with L hand indicate Halter and add Coat for Harness.

Fr. l’attelage; Ger. das Gespann.

Teepee or Lodge. Cross the tips of the G fingers held high. In Tent they are not crossed.

Fr. la loge (la hutte) des Indiens; Ger. die Indianerhütte.

Telegraph. On forefinger of left G hand, palm up, tap with crooked forefinger of right hand, as though

telegraphing; then shoot it along left forefinger and on in line. (Crow sign, La Forge.)

Telegraph. Sign Wire, then tap on it two or three times with right G and add Talk, shooting it far ahead.

Fr. le télégraphe; Ger. der Telegraph.

Telephone. Sign Wire; raise O hand to the ear like the receiver, then add Talk.

Fr. le téléphone; Ger. der Fernsprecher.

Tell about. See Explain and Speech.

Tell me. See Talk and Speech.

Tell-tale, Tattling, or Tattle (Magpie or Chatterer). Make a bill with forefinger and thumb; hold it at the mouth, pointing forward; open and shut it, but do not advance it. Note, it does not get anywhere; Talk does.

Fr. le rapporteur; Ger. der Ausplauderer.

Tenderfoot. Make signs for Scout and Little. (Scott.)

Fr. le novice; Ger. der Neuling.

Tense, of verbs, indicated by Now, Time Back, and Future, that is Time Ahead.

Tent. Like Teepee, but do not cross the fingers. Sometimes add White Man.

Fr. la tente; Ger. das Zelt.

Than. See As.

Thank you, or Gratitude. Raise the open right hand within a foot of the face, back down and to right; then carry it outward and downward toward person, bowing at same time (Pop). For this the Cheyennes use one hand as in Gratitude, which see. Sign Give, Good. (Blackfoot.)

Fr. merci, je vous remercie, la gratitude; Ger. ich danke dir (or Ihnen), die Dankbarkeit.

That. Point with right G at the person or thing. Compare This, There, and Yonder.

Fr. ce ... là; Ger. der, jener.

That or Which, relative pronoun (The one behind that). Left L hand pointing to right. Lay right forefinger on end of left, then turn it up and back to touch the thumb. (D)

Fr. qui, que, lequel; Ger. welcher.

That place. Hold out right G, back up, at arm’s length, face high, pointing forward; strike it down three or four times, chiefly by finger action. Compare Then and Here.

Fr. là; Ger. da, dort.

Theatre. Sign House, Look, Big, Many. (Sheeaka.)

Fr. le théâtre; Ger. das Theater.

Their. See Possession.

Then (That time). Swing right G, point first, forward and down in an 18-inch curve. Compare Yonder and That place.

Fr. alors; Ger. damals.

There. Simply point with middle finger, others closed, hand held breast high. Compare Challenge.

Thick. Hold out flat left, back to left, place right underneath palm up; clasp left with it, rub right fingers and thumb tips back and forth on the middle of the left hand in long, slow rubs. Compare Meat, Thin, Oil, and Bacon.

Fr. épais; Ger. dick.

Thief. Sign for the person and add Steal. (C)

Fr. le voleur; Ger. der Dieb.

Thin (Not thick). Like Thick, but rub lower edge and little finger of left with tips of right thumb and index finger united, others closed. Usually the little finger side is the Edge. Compare Bacon, in which all of the fingers are used; also, Oil, Thick, and Meat.

Fr. mince; Ger. dünn.

Thin or Poor in flesh (Flesh clawed off). Bring both 5 hands, backs forward, in front of breast and touching it. Move each to its side, curving the fingers more.

Fr. maigre; Ger. mager.

Things. The 5 hands similarly pointing forward, backs up, waist high, one at each side of the body; swing once or twice in small circles nearly vertical, but a little forward in the upper part.

Fr. les choses; Ger. die Dinge.

Think (Drawn from the heart). Lay right G on the heart, back up, and swing it outward ten inches and a little up.

Fr. penser; Ger. denken.

Thinking. See Consider.

Thirst, Dry, or Drouth. Sign Want and Drink.

Fr. la soif; Ger. der Durst.

This. Hold flat left palm up near body and thrust right G down to it. For These repeat it several times.

Fr. ce ... ci; Ger. dieser.

Thought. See Idea.

Thousand. Sign Hundred and then Ten times. See Numbers.

Fr. mille; Ger. tausend.

Thread. Rub thumb and index together, as though twisting a thread, and sign Sew. Compare Powder.

Fr. le fil; Ger. der Faden.

Threaten. Shake clenched fist toward the person.

Fr. menacer; Ger. drohen.

Through. Push the right flat hand edgewise outward between the middle and third fingers of the left, which are held pointing upward. Compare Between.

Fr. par, au travers de; Ger. durch.

Thunder. Clap the hands loudly in front of face and add a rapid zigzag with the right G finger for Lightning.

Fr. le tonnerre; Ger. der Donner, das Gewitter.

Thy or Thine. Sign You. Possess.

Fr. ton; Ger. dein.

Ticket. Hold out H left, back up; lay the right G across it at the middle knuckles; add Writing and indicate Railway, Theatre, Pawn, etc., as needed.

Fr. le billet; Ger. das Billett.

Till. See To.

Time (Duration). Join the index finger and thumb of each hand at tips, other fingers closed; hold back of right hand to right, left to left, thumb tips touching; draw the hands apart, slowly and level. A little apart means Little time; a long way is Long time, etc. Sign After, Little time, for Bye and bye. So leaving the hands touching means Now; and Time, Long, Behind means Long time ago. A much-used sign. See Ago and Past.

Fr. le temps; Ger. die Zeit.

Time afterward, After a little time, Bye and Bye. Hold out the left G level, pointing forward, breast high; lay the right G on the back of the left, draw it back toward the wrist an inch. For Time ahead, sign Time and Ahead, that is, hold up left G and swing right G parallel and far ahead in the same line. Or sometimes for Time ahead or Future give the Time sign first given, but draw the right forefinger and thumb in an up and over curve far ahead, instead of to the right.

Fr. plus tard; Ger. später.

Time (Shadow around tree). Hold up left G, point right G at it and swing it around, finally touching it at top. (Sioux, Sheeaka.) This is used for exact point or date.

Fr. l’époque; Ger. die Zeit, der Zeitpunkt.

Hour. Indicate in the sky the position of the sun at that hour.

Hour (i.e., sixty minutes). Hold up the left hand with back toward you, index and thumb joining in a complete vertical circle; with right G on this as a pointer, move an inch and add One.

Fr. l’heure; Ger. die Stunde.

Minute or Moment. Hold the flat left hand pointed forward, thumb up; lay the right G on it like a pointer and move it the least bit. (Sheeaka.) The Cheyennes sign Hour and Small. In giving Time it is safest to do it in railway style; that is, 45 minutes after 4 would be 4 hours and 45 minutes; not a quarter before 5.

Fr. la minute; Ger. die Minute.

Second. Make the signs Minute and Very small. (Sheeaka.)

Fr. la seconde; Ger. die Sekunde.

Day or Light (The opening up, as contrasted with Night, the closing over). Hold out the level flat hands in the same horizontal plane, backs up, pointing to front, a few inches apart. Swing them upward apart to right and left, and then downward on a curve, turning the palms up; ending when the hands are about opposite shoulders and a little higher than at the start.

For the days of the week, see under Sun.

Sometimes “one sun” is “one day.”

For To-day the sign for Now is first made.

Fr. le jour; Ger. der Tag.

Time of Day, as morning, forenoon, noon, afternoon, etc. Point to the sun’s position in the sky at the time. See Midnight.

Fr. l’heure du jour; Ger. die Tageszeit.

Week. Sign Suns, Seven (Sheeaka) or One Medicine Day. Compare Sunday.

Fr. la semaine; Ger. die Woche.

Month. Crescent or Horns in the sky. See illustration in M.

Fr. le mois; Ger. der Monat.

Seasons. Spring, Short grass; Summer, High grass; Autumn, Falling leaf; Winter, Cold or Snow.

Fr. les saisons; Ger. die Jahreszeiten.

Year. Sign One Cold (Cheyenne). Or better perhaps, though not general, sign Snow, then swing the right G in a circle to left, down and up on right, then again make Snow, meaning from snow around to snow. (Sheeaka.) Sign One Snow (Blackfoot).

Fr. l’an, l’année; Ger. das Jahr.

Tired or Weary. Hold out G hands, backs up, six inches apart, drop them and draw them to you a little. Sometimes used for Quit. See Lazy. Compare Afraid.

Fr. fatigué; Ger. müde.

To, Till, or Until. Hold the left G a little forward, palm to you; swing the right G upward till the forefingers meet at tip. (Sheeaka; probably borrowed from the Deaf.) Compare Meet.

Fr. jusqu’à; Ger. bis.

Tobacco (Ground in the palm). Hold flat left hand, back down, in front of body; grind on it the heel of closed right in small circles.

Fr. le tabac; Ger. der Tabak.

To-day. Sign Day and Now.

Fr. aujourd’hui; Ger. heute.

Together or Gather (Gathered together). Press the palms of the flat hands together two or three times, swinging them apart and together once or twice, so the tips describe six-inch vertical circles going down on the outside and up on the inside of each. Note this also means Gather. See also With, Meet, and Heap.

Tomahawk. Hold the flat right hand in the hollow of the horizontal left arm (C). Compare Baby. Or sign Axe and Smoke.

Fr. le tomahawk, la hache de guerre des Indiens; Ger. die Streitaxt der Indianer.

To-morrow. Sign for Another and Sunrise. Compare Yesterday.

Fr. demain; Ger. morgen.

Too, Too much. Sign Enough, but raise both hands at arm’s length above the head. (Scott.) Sometimes use Heap. See also Excessive, Ahead, and Over.

Fr. trop; Ger. zu viel.

Too or Also. Sign Equal, With, or And.

Fr. aussi; Ger. auch.

Touch. See Feel.

Town. Sign House; then, keeping the flat hands at same angle, swing them wide apart, keeping left near body, right far away. Add White Man if needed.

Fr. la ville; Ger. die Stadt.

Track or Trail; i.e., to follow by Trail. Sign Walk and point to the ground with right G; move it forward in a sinuous course. Sometimes add Look.

Fr. tracer; Ger. aufspüren.

Trade, Exchange, Swap, Bargain, Buy, or Sell. Hold G hands pointing up, one at each shoulder; move them together in a down curve till wrists are crossed. See Avoid.

Fr. trafiquer, troquer, faire le commerce; Ger. tauschen, handeln, Handel treiben.

Trail (A road). See Way.

Train. See Railroad.

Trap or To trap. Make a large level circle of forefingers and thumbs for the trap; then snap these up together, index alongside index, thumb alongside thumb to indicate the closing.

Fr. le piège, prendre au piège; Ger. die Falle, mit der Falle fangen.

Travel. Hold out the 5 hands, palm to palm, but left a foot advanced and six inches higher, both of them vibrated up and down. This means Keep on Going. See Work, Go, and Walk.

Fr. voyager; Ger. reisen.

Treaty. Sign Shake Hands and Write; that is, write with right index on flat left palm.

Fr. le traité; Ger. der Vertrag.

Tree. Hold right forearm upright in front of shoulder, fingers straight, spread upward. For plural use both hands. For Forest, hold left outside and touching right; draw right near body and push left far away. See Forest.

Fr. l’arbre; Ger. der Baum.

Tribe or Troop. See Bunch.

Triumph. Wave one hand in circle above the head as swinging a flag. At a distance, wave a hat, coat, or blanket.

Fr. le triomphe; Ger. der Triumph.

Troop or Tribe. See Bunch.

Trot. Indicate the kind of animal, then with S hands, backs up, indicate movement of feet as in trotting. (C)

Fr. le trot, trotter; Ger. der Trott, traben.

Trouble or Perplexity. See Consider, Doubt, Sorry, and Sorrow.

Fr. le trouble, la perplexité; Ger. die Sorge, die Bestürzung.

True, Truth, Certain, Sure, Straight (One straight trail). The G forefinger pointing straight forward under the chin, then moved forward with an upward curve. Compare Honest.

Fr. vrai, la vérité; Ger. wahr, die Wahrheit.

Try or Attempt. Sign Work and Begin.

Fr. essayer; Ger. versuchen.

Turkey. Sign Bird; then indicate Beard with compressed right hand under the chin, pointed down and shaken. (C)

Turkey. Sign Bird; then hold right G at forehead, back up, curved, pointed down, and drop it past the nose down below chin.

Fr. le dindon; Ger. der Truthahn, der Puter.

Turkish Bath. See Sweat Lodge.

Turn him down or Thumbs down. This dates from the Roman arena. Right arm at full length, fingers closed, thumb extended and pointing downward; meaning “Kill him” or “it.” See Knife.

Turn into. See Grow.

Turn loose. See Free and Pardon.

Turtle or Tortoise. Hold right hand low, back up, flat, but fingers bent back on palm; push it forward, giving it by wrist action a serpentine course. See Fog.

Fr. la tortue; Ger. die Schildkröte.

Twice. See Once.

Twinkle. Sign Star and Talk.

Fr. étinceler; Ger. funkeln.

Twins. Lay V fingers, palm in, on abdomen and add Born.

Fr. les jumeaux; Ger. die Zwillinge.

Typewrite. Sign Write; then with both hands strike here and there at keys.

Fr. écrire à la machine, dactylographier; Ger. mit der Schreibmaschine schreiben.