The American Sign Language sign for "microprocessor"
microprocessor-[fs-MICRO+PROCESS+AGENT]
(Graphic goes here.)
The fingerspelled letters for "micro"
The sign for "process"
Notes:
MICROPROCESSOR: fs-MICRO+PROCESS+AGENT (Source: Adam Munder, Deaf, developmental
engineer, Intel. Signs "microprossors" at the 26s mark of "Intel's Workplace:
Deaf Employee With Two Full-Time Interpreters!" published by: Seek the World,
Retrieved from: https://www.facebook.com/seektheworld2015/videos/370489923648959/?t=26)
Here we have an example of an articulate, highly experienced (seven years), Deaf
professional in the field of semi-conductor development using a combination of
fingerspelling, the sign for "process," and the AGENT-[affix] to create the
meaning of "microprocessor."
The AGENT-[affix] is commonly known as the non-initialized PERSON sign. This
example is linguistically important because it is showing the semantic expansion
(increase in the range of meanings) of the sign commonly referred to as
"PERSON." In this example the AGENT (or "PERSON") sign is being used as a suffix
to create a noun of agency (in this case a thing that performs an action).
Additionally, the example was published in a online ASL-based video publication
(Seek the World) by a Deaf blogger (Calvin Young) with a follower count (at the
time) of 291,000.
The point? The use of the AGENT-[affix] (or non-initialized PERSON) sign as as a
suffix to derive (create) a noun from a verb is (at least sometimes) a common
and legitimate use of the PERSON sign. The articulation (or "way it is signed")
of PERSON when used as an affix to create a "thing" (rather than a person) tends
to use only a very small (not extended) downward movement (if at all).
Notes: