Japanese, American, French sign languages

This must have taken some time to put together, they switch out team members for each word, involving choosing a team member, positioning them, agreeing on a word. I am realizing that French version is more eloquent than American version and that is odd as American sign owes so much to French, Gallaudet himself being of French ancestry, having founded the first school for the deaf, his father personal secretary to George Washington, his son founding the first college for the deaf. 

French is ever so slightly more intuitive, American ever so slightly more brutal, more abrupt. 

They do not just say the word, they say, "start, Japanese, like this...," "ok, American sign ..." and so on. 

I notice no kanji here in the Japanese sign as I expected. I understand it is present throughout, I'm just not seeing it. I noticed no kanji finger spelling in the air, rather, intuitive pantomime.

The word "Japanese" describes the long archipelago, starting as it does with two "L" hand shapes it closely resembles the word for "language," two "L's" shaken apart from each other. Without the shake the word "language"  becomes "Japan."  I say that word at an angle, others describe a flat strip of land.  The old way was a "J" flicked at the corner of the eye, but now we've adopted their word for themselves. 

One of the Americans is Japanese descent and that threw me off. The word "America" is the fingers of both hands meshed and moved together around in a circle parallel with the ground. He abbreviates the word by simply meshing his fingers which can mean a whole lot of things as we saw in the video "Somebody That I Used to Know" where a similar mesh of fingers conveys, "you were right for me," it also means "breed" and when the fingers are rigidly crooked then "machine" or anything relating to mechanics. They depict gears that fit and work together sometimes actually turning as gears. A very useful hand configuration. But at one point the Japanese-American says "American" as "WHAP" meshed together hands plus "karate chops" straight down, in English "er" for "America-er," or America person. But all you see is "mesh" whap, "person" whap, and since we are on the subject we all know he means "American." 

If you will keep your pointer at on/off and glance at the subtitles back and forth, and take this in chunks then I think all this will make a good deal of sense. And you can readily see how much fun these people are having together.

My quick notes follow.

Japanese man: "Now, start, three, language, Japanese (long archipelago) American (mesh around) French (flipped "F") language"  (two "Ls" shaken as pulled apart)

Japanese woman: They laugh at her sexy word for "French" referring to breasts. They're all so amused with her humor. 

3, 1,2,3, back and forth, language so there!

Japanese man: let's bring it, happen, so there you go!

Japanese woman, lunge at camera.

cut

We see her word for "Japanese" is the pulled archipelago, her word for American is our word for "migrant" her word for French is same as ours "F" somewhat shaken.

three speakers 0:37

Japanese: Our word for "go" "over" "salute" greeting.

American: "over" "me" "thank you"

French: our word for "I" "thank you" with gracious bow.

American/French high five

cut 0:49

"Sorry"

Japanese: or word for "straight" 

American: "sorry" 

French: our word for "clean" 

cut 0:53  personnel change Japanese/French switch out

"Father/Mother"

Japanese: "Japan" (archipelago)  touch side of mouth + thumb up, touch cheekbone + 1

American:  "Father" "Mother" vocalized.

French: flick corner of mouth, touch closed "o" corner of mouth mama, papa

cut 1:08 personnel change

"Fine"

Japanese: our word for "sorry" + "can"

American (Japanese man, this threw me off) "fine" (same open hand as with mother/father) poked ont he chest, not on the face.

French: our word for "come on, hit me" 

"Marriage

Japanese:  our word for "different" "go" "identical"

American: clasped hands

French: put a ring on the finger

"Friend" 

Japanese: our word for "go" "marry" clasped hands

American: alternating hooked fingers

French: locked closed fingers as a train coupling.

cut 1:38 change personnel Japanese/French

"Interpreter"

Japanese: "person" (one handed)  index finger back and forth at mouth

American: "linked "Fs"  + "person"

French: our word for "cook"

"love" switch personnel

Japanese: "go" "strong" + two handed heart shape at chest pulsating in and out

American: Egyptian casket configuration, crossed arms at chest

French: emotion pouring outward from chest

"cooking" switch personnel

Japanese: go sign chop chop chop

American: American , hand slap top, bottom, top, bottom, top

French: French stir a pot

"Good job" personnel switch

Japanese: "go" our word for "progress"

American: America "good" + "J" "B"

French: clap

"delicious" personnel change

Japanese: go wipe bottom of mouth

American: America "touch" lips draw the "touch" configuration forward

French: warms my heart

"Dumb" personnel switch

Japanese: go "closed mind"

American: America go "thud" closed fist at head (or word is really a sideways "V" thumped at the forehead)

French: yakkity yak yak down down down

"Good Morning"

Japanese: go one, two hooked fingers at face indicating wake up

American: good + morning, vocalized

French: and "good" very sweetly

cut 2:33

Japanese: wave hello there, me, japan (stretched archipelago) 

American: hello, mesh (America, minus the rotation) + person (two handed karate chop)

French: okay, flicked "F" (French) + over there

"Recently we learned different sign languages. It was fun

Japanese: begin, hooked configuration, place place place, "but," + our word for "cop"

American: past, different, word word word, sit, right, 

French: against, this word, that word, this word, that word, different, different

You have learned about 14-15 different signs.

Japanese: xxxxxx

American: but, back and forth, learn, many, word, word, weigh, fourteen, word word, maybe higher different can sign over there America, can sign over there many can

Japanese: that's not it!

French: here, oh boy. 

"I already forgot.

Japanese: rubs hands, forgot

They laugh

Japanese: "the whole thing"  he, wants you, different out there, oh forget it.

Leaves

Returns SMACK

Japanese, "go on" "go" "here" "sorry" "cut off" "wash underarms" 

"Thanks to all the people here. It was great fun." 

French: "gratitude" to you, to you, to you, good all around

American: sign it

French: "here now" "from you to me, from me to you" pleasure, language, good job, everyone did fine.

American: Now all different people around here come together pleasing sit good thank you right, thank you left

Japanese: All round come together, in here, high energy, all around, chop, chop, 

American: thumbs up

All: wave, scan the room