Here's a breakdown:
* Gloss: A written representation of ASL signs, usually using English words or abbreviations to indicate the meaning of the sign. It can be written in a variety of ways, such as using capital letters for each sign, or using hyphens or underscores to indicate the movement of the sign.
* ASL: American Sign Language is a visual language, relying on handshapes, facial expressions, and body movements.
Here's an example:
* Sign: The sign for "cat" is made by making a claw handshape and moving it across your chest, as if petting a cat.
* Gloss: CAT or CAT-PET
Gloss is not a substitute for learning and understanding ASL itself. It's a tool for documentation, transcription, and learning.
Think of gloss like phonetic transcription in spoken languages. It helps you understand the form of the language, but it doesn't capture the full meaning or nuances of the language.
Key things to remember about gloss:
* Not ASL: It is a tool for representing ASL, but it is not ASL itself.
* Context matters: Gloss can be interpreted differently based on the context in which it is used.
* Limitations: Gloss cannot capture all aspects of ASL, such as facial expressions, body language, and the flow of the language.
It's important to understand that gloss is a tool for understanding ASL, but it is not the language itself. It is essential to learn ASL by signing and interacting with deaf people.