Indigenous signs for cities in Switzerland (die Schweiz, Suisse)
David Bar-Tzur
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Explanation of glossing system used
(to understand how I describe the signs in this dictionary)
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- Basel
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[B], PO down, touches forehead, then chin.1
- Bern
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(1) (2h)[5:] alt. claw at the air.1 (< the the claws of a bear which animal is the city's emblem.) (2) (2h)[5:] claw at air together. (< the the claws of a bear which animal is the city's emblem.)
- Biel
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(2h)[1], POs ><, arms cross at forearms.1
- Chur
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[5:] runs FTs down cheek.1
- Davos
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[B], PO > signer, touches temple, then pronates.1
- Frieburg
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[F], PO away, supinates. 1
- Geneva (Genève)
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[bC], PO > signer, touches chin then closes while moving away.1
- Glarus
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[S], PO away, is moved from side to side like shaking dice.1
- Lausanne
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Shake [L], PO away, FO up, from side to side.1
- Lucerne (Luzern)
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Fingers are held in a handshape that combines [L] and [U], PO away, FO up, and shaken from side to side.1
- Nuernburg
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[N], PO away, is swung from side to side like a pendulum in a downward arc.1
- St. Galen
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[B^] taps side of neck.1
- Solothurn
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[1], PO towards signer, is shaken slightly from side to side1 [< "Solo"="allein (alone)"?]
- Winterthur
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(2h)[S] are held at neck level with elbows close to body and shaken as if the signer were cold.1 [< the sign for "Winter (winter)"]
- Zurich (Zuerich)
- FT of [1] draws a "Z" in the air.1
List of sources cited
1. Beat Marchetti, native signer informant, personal communication, 1998.
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