State Name Signs
By Lance Forshay
State Name Signs
State names have three sign types:
1.  Common Signs.
2.  Lexicalized full fingerspelling of state names.
(“Lexicalized” à fingerspelled word adopted as a
“sign” form in ASL)
3.  Lexicalized state abbreviations. (Mostly according to
old Post Office abbreviations)
Note: Some deaf and Deaf people may sign some state
signs quite differently. I will teach accepted signs in
Deaf Community.
*** See me if you want to study more about State Name signs. I have
a research done by Edwin Carrington, Illinois Central College (see
reference at end of PP)
State Name Signs:
Common Signs
•  ALASKA (2)
–  Sign
–  #ALASKA
•  ARIZONA
•  CALIFORNIA
•  COLORADO (2)
–  #COLO
–  COLOR+#DO
•  HAWAII
•  MONTANA
•  NEW YORK
•  OREGON (2)
–  “O” like Seattle
–  You may see “O” like
“Washington” but
Oregonians prefer
“O” like “Seattle”.
•  TEXAS
•  WASHINGTON
•  WASHINGTON, #DC
State Name Signs:
Lexicalized Full Fingerspelling
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#IDAHO
#IOWA
#MAINE
#OHIO
#UTAH
State Name Signs:
Lexicalized Abbreviations
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#ALA
#ARK
#CONN
#DEL
#FLA
#GA
#ILL
#IND
#KAN
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#KY
#LA
#MD
#MASS
#MICH
#MINN
#MISS
#MO
#NEB
State Name Signs:
Lexicalized Abbreviations
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#NEV
#NH
#NJ
#NM
#NC
#ND
#OKLA
#PA
#RI
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#SC
#SD
#TENN
#VT
#VA
WEST+#VA
#WIS
#WYO
State Name Signs
Identification Practice
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ALABAMA
ALASKA
ARIZONA
ARKANSAS
CALIFORNIA
COLORADO
CONNECTICUT
DELAWARE
FLORIDA
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GEORGIA
HAWAII
IDAHO
ILLINOIS
INDIANA
IOWA
KANSAS
KENTUCKY
LOUISIANA
State Name Signs
Identification Practice
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MAINE
MARYLAND
MASSACHUSETTS
MICHIGAN
MINNESOTA
MISSISSIPPI
MISSOURI
MONTANA
NEBRASKA
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NEVADA
NEW HAMPSHIRE
NEW JERSEY
NEW MEXICO
NEW YORK
NORTH CAROLINA
NORTH DAKOTA
OHIO
OKLAHOMA
State Name Signs
Identification Practice
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OREGON
PENNSYLVANIA
PUERTO RICO
RHODE ISLAND
SOUTH CAROLINA
SOUTH DAKOTA
TENNESSEE
TEXAS
UTAH
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VERMONT
VIRGINIA
WASHINGTON
WEST VIRGINIA
WISCONSIN
WYOMING
State Name Signs
State Shape Identification Practice
State Name Signs
State Shape Identification Practice
State Name Signs
State Shape Identification Practice
State Name Signs
State Shape Identification Practice
State Name Signs
State Shape Identification Practice
Canadian Provinces:
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British Columbia
Alberta
Saskatchewan
Manitoba
Ontario
Quebec
Newfoundland NFLD
•  Northwest Territories
– NWT
•  Nova Scotia – NS
•  Nunavut – NVT
•  Prince Edward Island
– PEI
•  Yukon
References
•  Carrington, Edwin. American Sign Language
States and Cities: A Guide to the History, Rules
and Practice Governing the Use and Formation
of the 50 State Signs and Cities in Five States.
Unpublished manuscript, Illinois Central College,
Peoria, IL. 2004
•  www.graphicmaps.com/webimage/50states/
stone.htm (For State, motto, and flag art clip)