Pronouns & pointing
Me, my, you, we, and he-she-it — how ASL points instead of naming, and why gender drops out.
Focus
Point for pronoun, flat hand for possessive
ME and YOU are index-finger points; MY and YOUR are the flat palm at the same spots. One handshape change turns a pronoun into a possessive.
Third person has no gender
HE, SHE and IT are the same point. If the person isn't there, you set them down at a spot in the space in front of you and point back to it for the rest of the conversation — the same furnishing of space that directional verbs depend on.
Signs in this lesson
Open any sign for its full history, sources and minimal pairs.
Place a flat hand on your chest.
Point your index finger at the person or thing, or at the spot in space where you've placed them.
Touch your index finger to one shoulder, then arc it across to the other.
Touch a flat hand to your forehead and move it out and away, like a relaxed salute.
Wave an open hand, or fold the fingers down toward the palm a couple of times.
Hold a bent index finger just in front of your chin and flex it a couple of times, brows furrowed and lips slightly pursed.