Handling Sign Language handshapes annotation with the typannot typefont

Abstract

The typographic system Typannot, presented in this paper, allows the analyst to transcribe Sign Language (SL) signs. The structuring of this system is described in this presentation. It encodes three layers of information : parameters, parts and features. In order to visualize them at a typographic level, we adopted four design principles : genericity, readability, modularity and scriptability. Together, they guide us in the representation and integration of the three layers of information. The system can transcribe an SL sign with accuracy and display the transcription in a flexible way by means of two types of representation forms : a generic form and a composed form. These forms facilitate transcription and have the potential to help other practices (for example : lexicography or writing SL). The functioning of this typographic system is described here through the parameter of handshape ; the typefaces of the other parameters have been organized in the same way. A virtual keyboard with several interfaces, under development, makes it possible to typeset the three distinct layers of information. Results from transcriptions produced using Typannot are presented in this paper. They reveal the fine-grained transcription capabilities available through our typographic system.

Keywords

• Sign Languages
• transcription
• typographic system
• virtual keyboard