Stokoe Notation

A notational system for representing the formational components of sign language signs, devised by William C. Stokoe for the 1965 Dictionary of American Sign Language on Linguistic Principles. The system analyzes each sign into three parameters: location (where the sign is produced), handshape (the configuration of the hand), and movement (how the hand moves). Each parameter value is represented by a symbol, and the symbols are combined to specify a sign's formation. Stokoe notation was the first system to demonstrate that sign languages have phonological structure analogous to spoken languages, fundamentally changing the scientific understanding of sign language as a true linguistic system rather than mere pantomime.