In a message dated 10/6/2017 10:06:51 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time joyfulbluedog
writes:
Hi Dr. Vicars,
I'm taking your class online using your website and I need to know if
there is a different sign for different types of parents. There is the mom or
dad sign (and step mom, foster mom, and adopted mom) and the sign for PARENTS is
like mom+dad. What do you do if you don't have a mom and dad but have two moms?
My friend has two moms, like the gay kind. Would she sign 'PARENTS BOTH MOM' Or
"HAVE TWO MOM" or is there a special sign for it. She is doing the class too and
we weren't sure if the PARENTS sign actually meant "mom + dad" because she
doesn't have a dad and so doesn't want to use that sign to mean "parents".
Thank you,
Samantha
Samantha,
As time goes on the sign for "parents" has evolved away from actually signing
MOTHER FATHER and during "fast" signing tends to just tap to the side of the
chin and a bit higher up on the cheek. Typically at high speeds the sign doesn't
even make contact with the face.
So, sure, as a beginner it is easier to just think of the sign as being MOM+DAD
but realistically that is just "teacher talk" (sort of like "motherese" --
Google it) and the actual everyday sign used by adult native Deaf has long since
evolved.
Your question causes me to reflect on the need to video record myself signing
that sign at high speed and embedding it in a sentence and then posting the
example to my parents.htm page.
Realistically though, even if the etymology (history) of a sign (or word) takes
the form of a previous meaning -- the current meaning of that sign or word does
not have to maintain that connection. Thus a person could sign the MOTHER+FATHER
version of parents and it NOT actually include a "male" of any-kind.
This is an evolving issue right now so any advice I give you "today" may not be
applicable for very long but that is my advice "for now." (Just tap to the side
of the chin and a bit higher up on the cheek.)
- Dr. Bill
For a video of that more "casual" version of "parents" see: https://youtu.be/_uZ7bNrTbTA
Notes: