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SYNTHETIC: The American Sign Language (ASL) sign for "synthetic"

 

 

In American Sign Language there is not one specific, widely-accepted sign for "synthetic."

However, there are certainly ways to express the concept as needed.

It would not be unusual to see someone use the sign FALSE to mean "synthetic" if there is sufficient context to make it clear what is being meant. For example if you wanted to discuss the difference between clothing fibers you could sign FALSE and spell "fibers" and it would be fairly clear to most bilingual adults that you mean "synthetic."

It would also not be uncommon to see someone mouth the word synthetic while signing "FALSE" (in context) to add additional clarity to the meaning.

Also, keep in mind that sometimes if a word such as "synthetic" isn't specifically important to a message it can sometimes be dropped and replaced by the overall meaning of the sentence or set of sentences.

If someone is comparing and contrasting materials, you might see "synthetic" fingerspelled and established as a referent (a location chosen and pointed at) from that point on in the story or conversation (if a person points at that location they are referring to the synthetic item).

You may also see or use one or more of the following concepts depending on your specific intent:

MACHINE MAKE:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsCQ4HqIWvU

MAN MAKE -- yes I know that phrase won't cause happiness if you are gender sensitive. I'm not telling you to use it -- I'm simply mentioning that it exists and you might see it.

CHEMICAL PROCESS:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdaRGstPID4


DEVELOP NEW:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cm5EiL99-m4

... and so forth (again -- depending on your meaning and the circumstance). Also the sign FLEXIBLE is sometimes used in ASL to refer to "plastic" -- which may (or may not) match your meaning. Note: The sign FALSE also can be used to create a wide variety of meanings from FAKE to "foster" (as in foster parents").
 

 

 

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Notes: 
 

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