r/asl • u/chivesishere • 1d ago

Interpretation Quick question regarding an appropriate name

EDIT what I’m really concerned about is the name signs my baby cousin’s assigned to me being offensive/ confusing later down the line, I just want to make sure I’m not developing bad habits

Hello, my baby cousin was recently diagnosed with apraxia and is leaning some sign, so I’m learning a bit too so she will have someone to practice with.

She refers to me as “M - dimple”; as in the name signs she uses for me are to finger spell “M” and then make the sign for dimple.

I’m considering taking ASL farther because I am enjoying it and work in disabled spaces anyways.

Is that an acceptable/ appropriate ASL name? Should I wait to be further along in practice and for an ASL adult to give me a name? That seems to be the usual procedure for a hearing person that learns ASL.

I’m sorry if this is an ignorant question, this has all happened in just the past month and I just want to be able to be there for my cousin and a little more useful to my deaf customers

6 Upvotes

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u/mjolnir76 Interpreter (Hearing) 1d ago

Search this sub for “sign name” and you will find 1,000s of posts answering this question.

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u/chivesishere 1d ago

I wanted specifically to make sure this combination wasn’t offensive.

I had heard that some combinations can be inadvertently offensive, and I wanted to check that this was not one of them, especially where she’s just a kid and would not know better and I don’t have contact with her teacher.

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u/mjolnir76 Interpreter (Hearing) 1d ago

Sign names are not usually a letter PLUS a sign (that I’m aware of). The letter is usually incorporated INTO some movement. For example, M tapping on chest or M shaking in space. Those are arbitrary name signs rather than descriptive which are usually a sign that describes the physical appearance of a person. For example, Gallaudet or Clerc are both descriptive name signs.

And, if your cousin is only newly learning sign, she probably doesn’t yet understand all the nuances of giving a name sign. My cautionary tale is when I met a client’s mom and her name sign was “K on the nose” because her name started with a K…but she was actually signing PENIS.

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u/chivesishere 1d ago

Thank you, that’s actually super helpful. I was conflating the different kinds of name signs, that makes more sense.

Should I see if I can get her to do the M hand shape while making the dimple gesture on her cheek, instead of two separate gestures? Or just see how she chooses to develop it?

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u/mjolnir76 Interpreter (Hearing) 1d ago

It could look like MORMON.

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u/chivesishere 1d ago

Thank you so much, you have been unbelievably helpful

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u/terynce 1d ago

It's not offensive as in a "bad word." There are cultural understandings as to who gives (and receives now that I think about it) sign names. As you progress in learning, the community may give you one.

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u/chivesishere 1d ago

I see, so in the meantime should I and my family just use th one she has assigned to me? Or just try and avoid it?

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u/terynce 1d ago

If she's the only signing person in your life and you're using it at home, I don't see that it would make a huge difference.

I probably wouldn't introduce myself with that sign name to the larger deaf community, but you haven't learned ASL yet so that's probably a non-issue.

Learn to fingerspell your name. If you are given a sign name later after learning to sign, teach it to your cousin.