Please download the BIM-English-Malay Handshape Dictionary
The BIM-English-Malay Handshape Dictionary, published by the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics, Universiti Malaya in 2014, is now available to support the learning and understanding of BIM (Malaysian Sign Language). Authored by Puan Ainun Rozana Mohd Zaid, Dr. Roshidah Hassan, Dr. Faridah Noor Mohd Noor, Dr. Anthony Chong Vee Yee, and Cik Ho Koon Wei, this resource is designed to cater to both beginners and advanced users of BIM.
The dictionary is structured by handshape, allowing users to easily locate sords without relying on English or Malay translations. It also groups sords with similar initial handshapes together, making it easier to explore related sords.
Take a peek inside! The image below offers a glimpse of the dictionary’s clear and accessible format, showcasing the main sections: illustrations of sords and an index with English and Malay entries. Each entry includes detailed explanations of handshapes, meanings, and expressions in both languages.
We are excited to share this softcopy version to broaden accessibility and increase public awareness of BIM and Deaf culture through wider distribution of this resource. Let’s work together to spread this valuable resource and support the growth of BIM!
Please download the BIM-English-Malay Handshape Dictionary
Basic Structures of BIM
A sord conveys a concept; it is not an alternative representation of a word in English or Malay. The production of a sord involves five parameters which need to be described:
Read more: Establishing ‘Sord’ and ‘Iskata’ as Essential Terms for Recognizing BIM’s Unique Linguistic Identity
- Handshape
- Palm orientation
- Location
- Movement
- Non-manual signals
The sords in the dictionary are ordered according to these parameters so they can be easily located. The primary order of the sords in this dictionary is the initial handshape that the hands assume when beginning to make the sord.
See the table below containing the arrangement of handshapes; however, it is not yet complete due to limited research on BIM.
