[sw-l] Re: heel view not best term.

[SignWriting]

SignWriting List
May 29, 2009

On May 29, 2009, at 8:22 PM, Charles Butler wrote:
> As "heel" is a part of the foot, I'd suggest using "wrist" view  
> instead, it states what angle you are looking at, essentially  
> straight forward at the wrist, not up from the "heel" of the foot.   
> I know we've called it "heel" for a while, but it is confusing, and  
> wrist is unambiguous.
> Charles Butler


Hi Charles -
Many thanks for teaching the symbol so well...and Adam and I will have  
some web pages on these symbols soon...

Meanwhile, regarding the word "heel"...actually, if you look the word  
up in the dictionary, the word "heel" can be applied to the end of the  
foot, or the end of the hand...it is correct for both...below is the  
definition from the Oxford American Dictionary...in the ballet world  
where I grew up, we use the term "heel" for both the wrist and ankle  
areas...

Here is the definition from the New Oxford American Dictionary:

heel 1 |hēl|
noun1
• the back part of the foot below the ankle
• a corresponding part of the foot in vertebrate animals
• the part of the palm of the hand next to the wrist : "he rubbed the  
heel of his hand against the window."