The Lorm alphabet is a method of tactile signing named after Hieronymus Lorm, who developed it in the late 19th century. Letters are spelled by tapping or stroking different parts of the listener's hand.[1] The Lorm alphabet is mostly used in German-speaking countries, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Poland and Georgia.

Alphabet

For the German language the following signs are used:

A Tap on the tip of the thumb
B Short stroke on the index finger
C Tap on the wrist
D Short stroke on the middle finger
E Tap on the index fingertip
F Lightly squeeze the ends of the index and middle fingers
G Short stroke on the ring finger
H Short stroke on the little finger
I Tap on the middle fingertip
J Double tap on the middle fingertip
K Tap with four fingertips on the palm
L Long stroke from the end of the middle finger to the wrist
M Tap on the base of the little finger
N Tap on the base of the index finger
O Tap on the ring fingertip
P Long stroke on the outside of the index finger
Q Long stroke on the outside of the hand (little finger side)
R Light drumming of the fingers on the palm
S Circle on the palm
T Stroke on the thumb
U Tap on the little fingertip
V Tap on the ball of the thumb, slightly outside
W Double tap on the ball of the thumb
X Stroke across the wrist
Y Stroke over the fingers in the middle
Z Oblique stroke from the ball of the thumb to the base of the little finger
Ä Double tap on the tip of the thumb
Ö Double tap on the ring fingertip
Ü Double tap on the little fingertip
CH Oblique cross on the palm
SCH Lightly grasping fingers II – V
ST Long stroke on the outside of the thumb

Signals

The following signals may also be used:[2]

References

  1. ^ Marschark, Marc; Spencer, Patricia Elizabeth (2015). The Oxford Handbook of Deaf Studies in Language. Oxford University Press. p. 338. ISBN 9780190241414.
  2. ^ Białek, Maria, ed. (2009). Małymi krokami do wielkich celów: w świecie osób głuchoniewidomych (in Polish). Warsaw: Towarzystwo Pomocy Głuchoniewidomym. ISBN 978-83-925442-8-9. OCLC 751495670.
Categories