Lorm alphabet

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

• 
  Lorm alphabet for German
• 
  Lorm alphabet for Czech
• 
  Lorm alphabet for English
• 
  Lorm alphabet for Polish
• 
  Lorm alphabet for Georgian
• 
  Lorm alphabet adapted for people who do not have, have busy or cannot use their hands. Two additional gestures: 1.) A sliding touch from the edge of the heel to the tips of the toes marks the end of each sentence unless it is a question or an exclamation. 2.) A full palm-to-sole touch indicates the end of a conversation or a change of speaker. It is adapted for most Germanic, Slavic and Romance languages.

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]

• Word ends can be signaled by a light tap on the palm.
• Word misunderstood or request to repeat can be signaled by closing the hand into a fist.
• Mistake by speaker can be signaled by rubbing the hand. The whole word must be repeated.

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.