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Archive Replay
Friday, February 21, 2025
Sign of the Day
wood
The BSL sign for "wood" uses a dominant G-hand brushing repeatedly across a non-dominant flat B-hand palm-up, representing the grain or texture of wood
A1 Common Noun British Sign Language (BSL) Neutral
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Dominant G-hand, non-dominant flat B-hand
Dominant G-hand brushes non-dominant palm repeatedly
Discussing materials, furniture, trees, construction
Break It Down
Watch, build, and feel the movement
Use the numbered steps first, then check the sign anatomy cards to clean up the small details that make the sign look fluent instead of approximate.
How to form the sign
- Form non-dominant flat B-hand, palm up
- Place dominant G-hand knuckles down
- Brush dominant G-hand across non-dominant palm
- Repeat brushing motion several times
Coach prompt
Practice holding the non-dominant B-hand steady. Focus on the repetitive brushing motion with the G-hand
Signature details
Handshape
Dominant G-hand, non-dominant flat B-hand · Code G, B
Dominant hand
Either
Symmetry
Asymmetric
Contact
Brush
Palm orientation
Non-dominant palm up; Dominant G-hand faces down
Eyebrows
Neutral
Eye gaze
Forward
Head movement
None
Mouth morpheme
wood
Body shift
None
Use It Today
Move from recognition to real-life use
Everything below is designed to make the sign sticky: where it feels natural, what learners miss, and how to use it without sounding robotic.
This table is made of wood
Refers to the material, not the living tree
Best fit: Discussing materials, furniture, trees, construction
Mirror focus
Practice holding the non-dominant B-hand steady. Focus on the repetitive brushing motion with the G-hand
Catch the slip
Ensure the non-dominant hand is flat B-hand, palm up. The dominant G-hand brushes, not taps, repeatedly across the palm
Use it today
This table is made of wood
Common mistakes: Confusing with 'tree' or 'forest'
When not to use it: When referring to a living tree or a group of trees
Regional note: Minimal
Cultural note: Often used in discussions about craftsmanship or natural resources
1. [en] The table is made of wood. / BSL: [TABLE MAKE WOOD]
2. [en] We need more wood for the fire. / BSL: [NEED MORE WOOD FIRE]
3. [en] This is a piece of wood. / BSL: [THIS PIECE WOOD]
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Word web
Timber
lumber
forest
tree
Metal
plastic
stone
concrete
Tree
forest
furniture
fire
paper
Tree
Forest
Furniture
The sign "wood" (G-hand brushes B-hand) differs from "TREE" which uses a dominant B-hand with the wrist placed on the non-dominant forearm, then moving upwards. "PAPER" uses a flat hand wiping the other. "WOOD" emphasizes the material's texture, while "TREE" represents the trunk or growth
Materials
nature
construction
furniture
BSL wood
sign for wood
wood in BSL
British Sign Language wood
Construction
Furniture
materials
Nature
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