ASL For Life - Listing and Ranking/Birth Order

In ASL, listing and ranking is done using your fingers, based on how many items or people are in the list/ranking.

Listing

The listing hand should be your dominant hand, and you gently tap the one in the list that you're referring to, but first, you must name what/who each item/person or animal in the list is.

The number/rank of the object or living being is based on which finger you use.

Thumb: #1
Index: #2
Middle: #3
...  And so on.

Example, you are listing your favorite animals.  You have three favorite animals, so you use a three finger list, making the number three shape with your hand in ASL (the three hand-shape typically used in English is a W in ASL finger-spelling).

The three fingers you would use is your thumb, index, and middle finger.

Thumb, #1: Dog
Index, #2: Cat
Middle, #3: Bird.


When you begin a list, you first let the other signer know that you are listing.
Here is an example starting sentence.

MY FAVORITE ANIMAL...  Then, you would turn your hand into a list, using two or more fingers to list all your favorite animals.
When you begin, you use your other hand to tap the listing hand, beginning with your thumb.  
So, because the first favorite animal is a dog, you would tap your thumb, sign "DOG," then return to listing and tap the next finger.


Once you finish explaining what each finger represents in your list, you can simply tap that finger when referring to that person, animal, or object without having to name it again until you have finished your discussion of the said objects/living beings on your list.  The other signer might also refer to your list using their hand as well, rather than signing what it is again.

Ranking/Birth Order

The listing concept is also used for ranking something/someone and for birth order.  Example, if you were telling someone about your children, you would list them on your hand and rank them by birth order.  The thumb would be your oldest child, while the pinky would be your youngest child.

• If there is more than five objects, people, or animals,  you can indicate the number of the continuation and use the list over again.

Example, if you have seven children and you are beginning to list your last two children, you can sign the number "6" or "sixth," then tap the thumb to indicate that they are now represented by your thumb, and continue from there.  If you are talking about your seven children randomly throughout the discussion of your family, you'll have to indicate your switching back and forth.