American Sign Language: "glasses"

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The sign for "glasses" can mean either "glasses" or Gallaudet.
If you need to clarify between the two, you could use a double motion for glasses or you could use a two handed version of glasses. 

GLASSES or GALLAUDET or "Moses"

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Another way to sign glasses is touch a modified "C" hand (index and thumb) to your cheek and brow to show the rim of the glasses, move the sign out from your face a half-inch then move it back to your face again.

GLASSES ("rim" variation)

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If you use two hands this sign could be used to mean "goggles."  If you use a single larger movement it means "put on goggles."  If you use two smaller movements it means "goggles" (or glasses).

GOGGLES: (or glasses)

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Optional discussion notes / Not needed for class:

Question:
In a message dated 4/28/2009 a student named "Chase" writes:
<<For "glasses," if you wear glasses, should you touch the rim of them in the sign or do it in front of them? Just a guess, but I would think it might also be possible to grab them with the thumb and index finger and wiggle them for a second to mean "glasses" as well…almost like the way that you sign "shirt" by pinching and wiggling the fabric.  Speaking of shirt, what do you do if you're at the beach and not wearing a shirt? Do you just grab an imaginary one?>>

Response:
Hello Chase,
Even if you do wear glasses they would not normally be touched during the signing of the concept "GLASSES."  The sign "GLASSES" is generally done very quickly and touching your glasses at high speed is not a good idea.  If I had a dollar for every time my wild gesticulations sent my glasses flying I could buy that new camera I've been wanting. [Donate Here]
I would tend to spell S-H-I-R-T if I didn't have one on.  Or I would use the other version of SHIRT which is sometimes labeled as "blouse" but it isn't gender specific -- really the sign "blouse" is just a sign that shows a covering over the torso (which can easily mean "shirt" in context).
-- Dr. Bill

 

Question:
Why would the sign MOSES use the sign for GLASSES?

Response: 
The MOSES sign seems to have originally been based on white hair on Moses. 
According to the story, Moses saw God and then Moses' hair turned white.
The sign could perhaps have started as a reference to a streak of WHITE-HAIR and mutated over time into GLASSES.
-- Dr. Bill
 

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