Face/head/body (non-manuals)

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Sometimes, signs involve movements of other parts of the body, not just the hands. Signs may use special facial expressions. Or, the head or other parts of the body may move in special ways. People usually call these movements non-manuals. In SooSL, we just say face/head/body.

Some dictionaries index signs for face/head/body movements. In SooSL, we do not try to describe every detail of a facial expression or a head/body movement. Instead, we just mark what part of the body moves. That is enough for searching.

head moves: turns, tilts, nods, etc.

eyebrows or forehead move: raised, lowered, furrowed, etc.

eyes or eyelids move: look in a special direction, squint, wide open, etc.

cheeks move: puffed, sunken, tongue in cheek, etc.

nose moves: wrinkled, flared nostrils, side-to-side

mouth moves: mouth open or shut; lips pursed, spread, smiling, frowning, sneering; tongue sticking out. We usually do not mark mouthing; we use this icon only for mouth movements that are not mouthing of spoken words.

chin moves: side-to-side, up-and-down without opening mouth

some other part of the body moves: shoulders, elbows, chest, belly, torso, legs

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