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Hearie:  What does the term "Hearie" mean in the Deaf world or from the lens of Deaf culture?

Also see: Deafie


 

This is a stub page being used to collect notes on the terms "Hearie" and "Deafie."

We need to create a specific definition of:
Hearie:
Deafie: 

Considerations and questions:
Is the term "Hearie" is generally used in a dismissive or derogatory way?
Is the term "Hearie" used within a spectrum of meanings from "neutral or mildly dismissive" ranging to " being in the same category as "cootie" -- or vermin?
Is the term "Deafie" generally used in an endearing, in-group, or other positive way?

What do we call terms that only in-group users are allowed to use?


Perhaps look into the signs:

1. HEARING-in-the-head
https://youtu.be/0MJyS1RDGQs

2. DEAF!-[inflected / puffed-cheek-version] / very Deaf / indeed Deaf / true Deaf / proudly Deaf https://youtu.be/Txm1EmXQW0c 

Next, look up the word: lacuna 
or google "lexical gap"
and consider whether or not we can consider "Deafie" and "Hearie" to be lacunae. 

Without evidence let us not assume that "Deafie" and "Hearie" was invented by Deaf people. 
Perhaps the terms Deafie and/or Hearie were invented by a "bi-cultural" Hearing person?
It would be interesting to locate a "first known usage" in literature of the term "Hearie." 

Consider if it is arguable that the terms "Deafie" and "Hearie" appear mainly in and/or almost exclusively in text form.  It would be interesting to interview (Hearing) Interpreters for the Deaf to inquire as to whether they "hear" those terms spoken -- or if those terms are mainly or almost exclusively used in text. Of course such surveys only help build a case or help us lean in one direction or another in our understanding of the usage of the terms Deafie / Hearie.

While there is no specific sign that is glossed (labeled) as "Deafie" nor "Hearie" it may be inappropriate to think of "written" English as the sole province of "Hearing" people and the "English" language.

In a diglossic society such as the American Deaf Community a version or derivative of written or typed English may be considered as being the "written" or "orthographic" language of Deaf people with its own orthography. For many years we typed on TTY's using text that borrowed heavily from written English vocabulary but following rules and conventions (punctuation or lack of it, correcting via XXing rather than backspacing, using abbreviations (such as GA, GA to SK, SK, SKSK, and Q)) belonging to (or adopted by and modified to fit the needs of) the Deaf. In short, we were "texting" long before texting became "popular" and then common in the Hearing world.

So, it is possible to state that Deaf use the terms "Deaflie" and "Hearie" in one of out language modes (namely "text") but not the signed language mode. 

Also, we cannot say that there is not a sign for "Deafie" or "Hearie" without first having considered "inflectional morphology" and the possibility of non-manual markers being used (consistently or at least at a significant rate) to mark the sign DEAF and create the meaning of "Deafie" or mark the sign HEARING to create the meaning of "Hearie." 

 

 




Perhaps the use of word "Hearie" is used simply to indicate intimate register (or casual register) and/or the affect of the user -- rather than any actual denotation of a difference in meaning between "Hearie" and "Hearing."

 

 



 

Notes: 

 




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