Handshape

Handshape is the configuration of the hand and fingers, including thumb position, used in human communication and gesture analysis. It is a key element in many forms of sign language and in the study of nonverbal communication, where distinct hand configurations convey different meanings or grammatical functions.

In sign languages, handshape is one of the core phonological parameters, along with location, movement, orientation, and facial expressions. A sign is typically defined by a specific handshape combined with a location and movement. Sign languages can have dozens or more canonical handshapes; the exact number varies across languages and analyses. Common shapes in many systems include the A handshape (fist with the thumb along the side), the B handshape (flat hand, fingers together), the C handshape (curved fingers forming a C), and the O handshape (thumb and fingertips touching to form a circle).

Handshape may change through phonological processes such as assimilation or when signs change form in connected sequences; some signs require the same handshape in different contexts, while others use alternative handshapes for related meanings. Handshape is studied separately from meaning; the same handshape can occur in multiple signs with different translations.

Outside sign languages, handshape analysis supports studies of gesture, manual ergonomics, and human-computer interaction. It is also taught in deaf education and used in technology such as sign-language recognition systems.