Human Flower Project
‘Flower’ Signing without a Syllable
How to say flower” in silence (Wordless Wednesday, we’re on the way …).
Sniffing as “flower” in baby sign language
Photo: Be Happy, via Youtube
Iwanu ga hana 言わぬが花
Literally—“Not speaking is the flower.” In English we might say “Silence is golden.”
Sputter…we are still straw, and have a long way to go before arriving at goldenness. But in that direction here are some unspoken human expressions of “flower.”
In the photo above, actually a still from a lovely video, a 10-month-old girl communicates “flower” in baby sign language. Videographer-mom says this tiny person learned the signs for “bird” “eat” and “flower” (making a sniffing sound) at nine months. Babies do know what’s important, and red hollyhocks are motivational! For more on baby sign language, here’s an article about two of its proponents.
American Sign Language, of course, has its “flower,” too. “A flattened O handshape moves from one side of the nose to the other to represent smelling flowers.”
It’s easier to imitate than to explain. Looky here; then watch the marvelous youtube which we hereby recommend to the Oscar committee.
“Flower”—in American Sign Language
Photo: ladyxeona via Youtube
For all you good spellers, there’s the more laborious F-L-O-W-E-R, with the American Sign Lanuage manual alphabet (and spelling in English).
Graphic: Human Flower Project, with a little help from lifeprint
We understand that across the world there are hundreds of sign languages. And we’re eager to learn the signs for “flower” in these other golden “tongues.” Please comment here or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).