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myself: The American Sign Language (ASL) sign for "myself"
MYSELF-[knuckles-toward-chest-version]
MYSELF-[thumb-toward-chest-version]
Notes:
MYSELF-[knuckles-toward-chest-version]
MYSELF-[thumb-toward-chest-version]
Signing notes: Many skilled signers, if asked, will reply that the two main versions of MYSELF are interchangeable.
Take that for what it is worth -- for many people there is no significant difference in the sign sufficient to claim a difference in meaning. Thus anyone (including me) claiming that there is a difference in meaning is at best offering an opinion that is disagreed with by many. (Yay! Keeps life interesting eh?) Again though --, the orientation of MYSELF is simply not on the radar of many people.
I will say this -- in my own research it seems that the more prominent of the two versions is the MYSELF-[knuckles-toward-chest] version. Later I'll create a "myself.htm" page and populate it. When I do so I'll be putting the MYSELF-[knuckles-toward-chest] version as the first entry on the page followed by the MYSELF-[thumb-toward-chest]version, followed by various commentary and notes.
So my first thought is that the two versions overlap in meaning generally and that any nuances are to be found in specific usage scenarios.
Consider though if for some strange, complex reason you needed to express the difference between the following concepts:
1. I must do it on my own as determined by someone else.
2. I must do it on my own as determined by me.
or
1. I must do it myself as assigned by someone else.
2. I decided to do it myself.
I would suggest for your consideration that if you needed to make such distinctions you it would make a very small bit of logic to use the following choices:
1. I must do it on my own as determined by someone else.
(Use: MYSELF-[knuckles-toward-chest-version])
2. I must do it on my own as determined by me.
(Use: MYSELF-[thumb-toward-chest-version])
or
1. I must do it myself as assigned by someone else.
(Use: MYSELF-[knuckles-toward-chest-version])
2. I decided to do it myself.
(Use: MYSELF-[thumb-toward-chest-version])
However, IRL (in real life) such distinctions are often *not* made and people simply sign whichever version of MYSELF they learned when young -- for any sentence involving MYSELF.
Next, ask yourself if there is a difference between:
1. Myself. (Using a period.)
2. Myself! ( Using an exclamation point!)
Yes, yes—in ASL we can create the stronger meaning by doing the sign more forcefully but perhaps there might be a bit more to it?
Notice that the period (".") in English takes less effort to write than the exclamation point ("!").
Ask yourself which version of MYSELF in ASL takes more effort.
I would suggest to you that the MYSELF-[knuckles-toward-chest-version] requires slightly more movement and a slightly greater bend in the wrist and therefore takes more effort than the MYSELF-[thumb-toward-chest-version].
Hmmm… why would someone put forth more effort instead of less effort?!?
The simple answer could be that they learned a particular version and it is now a habit.
Yet if for some reason a person did know both versions and felt the need to expend more effort for the sake of emphasis that person may choose to use the MYSELF-[knuckles-toward-chest-version] sign as a way of expending more effort on purpose.
Again though that sort of idea is really stretching -- trying to make something different of what many people consider to be the same.
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However, something that is real is: Co-articulation.
The sign preceding or coming after (or done simultaneously) with another sign often has an impact.
Try signing this:
I forced myself to do it.
Inflect FORCE by doing it toward your chest as if signing: "they-FORCE-me" (as a directional sign).
At the end of t he sign FORCE-me the hand is already oriented somewhat knuckles toward the chest so it would be natural to just "go with the flow" and sign MYSELF-[knuckles-toward-chest-version].
The point being here that there wasn't really a difference in meaning but rather there was a difference in the ease of articulation based on co-articulation. Had you done some other sign before MYSELF you might not have chosen the MYSELF-[knuckles-toward-chest-version] sign.
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Other notes:
It is not uncommon to see Deaf sign: "MY fs-OWN" (Or in other words we sometimes [but not always and some people never do] sign MY and the spell OWN).
It is much rarer to see a skilled signer or Deaf person sign: MY fs-SELF
The sign OURSELVES uses the thumb-side toward self orientation.
Ask yourself "Why is that and how might that relate to MYSELF-[thumb-toward-chest-version]
Consider this:
1. I bought it myself. (Use MYSELF-[thumb-toward-chest-version])
2. I can see myself in the camera. (MYSELF-[knuckles-toward-chest-version])
Question: Why would number 2 use the second version?
Answer: Wait… don't go acting like it really matters because, remember, lots of people don't care and don't differentiate between the two signs but fine, if we are going to play along and consider the possibility that there might be very small differences for some people (but not all) then okay the reason example 2 would use the (MYSELF-[knuckles-toward-chest-version]) sign might be because the camera is doing the seeing. The location of the camera is away from the body and it is looking toward the body. Also the camera is not involved in deciding making a decision. It has no ownership of me or any decision regarding me.
Remember though, this is just "discussion."
If you have invested years in the Deaf Community -- you get to have your own opinion.
If you are a teacher, just try to be nice to your students and don't be so full of yourself.
There are usually lots of right ways to sign things. That is why it is always so sticky when someone claims that "this" is the way it is.
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More notes:
Note: IRL (in real life) you might see the sign MYSELF done with the knuckles pointed toward the non-dominant side. Of course you aren't going to see that in an ASL book nor will teachers explicitly teach it to you. It is simply a very real form of the sign that shows up when signing other stuff. For an example, see the 2:45 mark:
https://youtu.be/GhWjWffvbxc?t=163
Or the 18:17 mark:
https://youtu.be/Wv8juaN202w?t=1096
Now that the "sideways" version is on your radar you will start noticing it too.
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