---
title: fingerspell — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «fingerspell» in the school dictionary: To fingerspell is to spell out a word letter by letter using hand shapes in sign language, for example a name or a word that has no sign. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# fingerspell

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** letter, word, We, our, She, you · **What happens:** fingerspell, be, use, have, letter, learn · **To what, where:** hand shapes, sign language, sign, names, BSL, name

<!-- .vabout -->
«fingerspell» in the school dictionary: its meaning for a pupil and its 6 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [fingerspell in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/fingerspell.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To fingerspell is to spell out a word letter by letter using hand shapes in sign language, for example a name or a word that has no sign.

<!-- fold The tree, 28 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:fingerspell:m1:1
# text = To fingerspell is to spell out a word letter by letter using hand shapes in sign language, for example a name or a word that has no sign.
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	fingerspell	fingerspell	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	csubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	spell	spell	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	out	out	ADP	RP	_	5	compound:prt	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	_
9	letter	letter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
10	by	by	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	letter	letter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nmod	_	_
12	using	use	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	11	acl	_	_
13	hand	hand	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	compound	_	_
14	shapes	shape	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	obj	_	_
15	in	in	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
16	sign	sign	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	compound	_	_
17	language	language	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	20	punct	_	_
19	for	for	ADP	IN	_	20	case	_	_
20	example	example	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
21	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	22	det	_	_
22	name	name	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	20	appos	_	_
23	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	25	cc	_	_
24	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	25	det	_	_
25	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	22	conj	_	_
26	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	27	nsubj	_	_
27	has	have	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	25	acl:relcl	_	_
28	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	29	det	_	_
29	sign	sign	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	27	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
30	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fingerspell** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | for example; spell *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **use** | gerund | letter *not said here* | hand shapes |  | sign language |  |  | vn eat-39.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent shape=Patient |
| 4 | **have** | present | a word | no sign |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent sign=Patient |
| 5 | **letter** |  | letter |  |  |  |  |  | nom letter «communication transitive»: by=agent |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
We learnt to fingerspell our names in BSL.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:fingerspell:x1:1
# text = We learnt to fingerspell our names in BSL.
1	We	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	learnt	learn	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	to	to	PART	TO	_	4	mark	_	_
4	fingerspell	fingerspell	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	xcomp	_	_
5	our	our	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	6	nmod:poss	_	_
6	names	name	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obj	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	BSL	BSL	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **learn** | past | We |  |  |  |  |  | vn learn-14-2-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **fingerspell** | to-infinitive | We *not said here* | our names |  | BSL |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **name** |  | our |  |  |  |  |  | nom name «communication transitive»: poss=agent |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
She fingerspelled the name of her town.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:fingerspell:x2:1
# text = She fingerspelled the name of her town.
1	She	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	fingerspelled	fingerspell	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	name	name	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
7	town	town	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fingerspell** | past | She | the name of her town |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **name** |  |  | her town |  |  |  |  | nom name «communication transitive»: of=patient |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
In ASL you fingerspell with one hand.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:fingerspell:x3:1
# text = In ASL you fingerspell with one hand.
1	In	in	ADP	IN	_	2	case	_	_
2	ASL	ASL	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
3	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	fingerspell	fingerspell	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	with	with	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	one	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	7	nummod	_	_
7	hand	hand	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fingerspell** | present | you |  |  | ASL |  | with one hand | tree rules |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Can you fingerspell «cat»?

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:fingerspell:x4:1
# text = Can you fingerspell «cat»?
1	Can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
2	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
3	fingerspell	fingerspell	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
4	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	cat	cat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fingerspell** | can | you | cat |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Names are often fingerspelt because they have no sign.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:fingerspell:x5:1
# text = Names are often fingerspelt because they have no sign.
1	Names	name	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
3	often	often	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
4	fingerspelt	fingerspelt	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
6	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	nsubj	_	_
7	have	have	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	advcl	_	_
8	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	9	det	_	_
9	sign	sign	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fingerspelt** | present · passive |  | Names |  |  |  | often *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **have** | present | Names *= name* | no sign |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent sign=Patient |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Our class practised fingerspelling every morning.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:fingerspell:x6:1
# text = Our class practised fingerspelling every morning.
1	Our	our	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	class	class	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	practised	practise	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	fingerspelling	fingerspelling	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
5	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	6	det	_	_
6	morning	morning	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **practise** | participle | Our class | fingerspelling |  |  | morning |  | tree rules |

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**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

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- ← previous: [fingerprint](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/fingerprint/)
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- ↑ back to [F in school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/)