The Gorean World

"I can teach you hundreds of signs in a short time," said Grunt. "It is a very limited language, but in most situations it is quite adequate, and, because many of the signs seem so appropriate and natural, it can be easily learned. In four or five days you can learn most of what you would need of sign."
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Place your right hand in front of your chest with the index finger pointing up. Then raise it to the front of your face.

"The general sign for a man is this," he said. He held his right hand in front of his chest, the index finger pointing up, and raised it in front of his face.
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Rub the back of your left hand from the wrist to the knuckle with your right index finger.

Grunt rubbed the back of his left hand from the wrist to the knuckle with his right index finger. "The general sign for a man is this," he said. He held his right hand in front of his chest, the index finger pointing up, and raised it in front of his face. He then repeated the sign for the red savage. "I am not clear on the specific rationale for the sign for the savage," he said. "You will note, however, that the same finger, the index finger, is used in the sign, as in the sign for man. The origins of some of these signs are obscure. Some think the sign for the red savage has a relation to the spreading of war paint. Others think that it means a man who goes straight or a man who is close to the earth, to nature. Doubtless there are other explanations, as well. This is the sign for friend." He then put his first two fingers together and raised them upward, beside his face. "It probably means two men growing up together."
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Place your two index fingers together and raise them upward beside your face.

"This is the sign for friend." He then put his first two fingers together and raised them upward, beside his face.
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Wild sleen or the Sleen tribe: Place the middle fingers of the right hand on your right thumb, extending the index and little finger.
I put the middle fingers of my right hand on my right thumb, extending the index and little finger. This suggests a pointed snout and ears.
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Spread the index finger and second finger of the right hand and draw them from left to right, in front of your body.

He then spread the index finger and the second finger of his right hand and drew them from the left to the right, in front of his body. "That is the sign for a domestic sleen," he said. "You see? It is like the spread poles of a travois, which might be drawn by such an animal."
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Draw your right index finger across your forehead, from left to right.

"What is this?" he asked, drawing his right index finger across his forehead, from left to right. "It is like the line of the brim of a hat, across the forehead," I said.
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Trace a line with your right index finger across your forehead, from left to right, and then open the hand and move it downward toward the shoulder in the combing motion.

He had traced a line with his right index across his forehead, from left to right, and had then opened his hand and moved it downward, toward his shoulder, in the combing motion. "What do you think this means?" he asked. He then made the combing motions with his hand, then lowered his head and looked at his left wrist, which he grasped firmly in his right hand, the left wrist, the weaker wrist, helpless in the grip of the stronger.
"I am not sure," I said.
"The second sign indicates bondage," he said.
"A female slave?" I asked.
"Yes," said Grunt, "but, more generally, it is another sign which may stand for any white woman, and is often used in this way."
"The same sign then," I said, "that sign, stands for both white woman and female slave?'
"Yes," he said. "It is the most common way of referring to a white woman. You see, in the Barrens, all white women are regarded as being female slaves. Our friends of the plains divide white women into those who have already, properly, been imbonded, and those who, improperly, have not yet been imbonded."
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Lower your head, looking at your left wrist which you then grab firmly in your right hand.

He had traced a line with his right index across his forehead, from left to right, and had then opened his hand and moved it downward, toward his shoulder, in the combing motion. "What do you think this means?" he asked. He then made the combing motions with his hand, then lowered his head and looked at his left wrist, which he grasped firmly in his right hand, the left wrist, the weaker wrist, helpless in the grip of the stronger.
"I am not sure," I said.
"The second sign indicates bondage," he said.
"A female slave?" I asked.
"Yes," said Grunt, "but, more generally, it is another sign which may stand for any white woman, and is often used in this way."
"The same sign then," I said, "that sign, stands for both white woman and female slave?'
"Yes," he said. "It is the most common way of referring to a white woman. You see, in the Barrens, all white women are regarded as being female slaves. Our friends of the plains divide white women into those who have already, properly, been imbonded, and those who, improperly, have not yet been imbonded."
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Make the combing motion and then lower your head, looking at your left wrist which you then grab firmly in your right hand.

"Good," he said, "And this?" With the fingers of both hands slightly curved, he made downward motions from the top of his head to the shoulders. It was as though he were combing hair.
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Make the sign for a woman, then a downward striking motion as though holding a switch.

He had traced a line with his right index across his forehead, from left to right, and had then opened his hand and moved it downward, toward his shoulder, in the combing motion. "What do you think this means?" he asked. He then made the combing motions with his hand, then lowered his head and looked at his left wrist, which he grasped firmly in his right hand, the left wrist, the weaker wrist, helpless in the grip of the stronger.
"I am not sure," I said.
"The second sign indicates bondage," he said.
"A female slave?" I asked.
"Yes," said Grunt, "but, more generally, it is another sign which may stand for any white woman, and is often used in this way."
"The same sign then," I said, "that sign, stands for both white woman and female slave?'
"Yes," he said. "It is the most common way of referring to a white woman. You see, in the Barrens, all white women are regarded as being female slaves. Our friends of the plains divide white women into those who have already, properly, been imbonded, and those who, improperly, have not yet been imbonded."
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Spread the first and second fingers of your right hand and then lay them over the index finger of your left hand, like the ankles bound on a leg stretcher.

"Here is another way of designating a white woman or a female slave," he said. He then made the sign for woman, followed by a downward striking motion, as though holding a switch. "Sometimes, too," he said, "when the context is clear, this sign alone may be used." He then spread the first and second fingers of his right hand arid laid them over the index finger of his left hand. "You see?" he asked. "It is ankles bound on a leg stretcher."
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Use the sign for a woman, followed by the sign for a red savage, and then followed by the bondage sign.

"Such a woman may be designated as follows," he said, "by use of the sign woman, followed by the sign for the red savages, followed by a bondage sign."
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Hold your left hand with the palm in before your chest, and then place your index and second finger of your right hand astride the edge of the left hand.

"What is this?" asked Grunt. He held his left hand with the palm in, before his chest, and placed the index and second finger of his right hand astride the edge of his left hand.
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Make the sign for Kaiila but both your hands rotate in tiny circles.

"What is this?" asked Grunt. He held his left hand with the palm in, before his chest, and placed the index and second finger of his right hand astride the edge of his left hand.
"A rider?" I asked.
"Kaiila," he said. Then, holding his hands as he had, he rotated his hands in tiny circles, as though the kaiila were in motion. "That is to ride," he said.
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Place your left fist in front of your mouth and slice between it and your face with the edge of your opened right hand.

"What is this?" he asked. He placed his left fist in front of his mouth and sliced between it and his face with the edge of his opened right hand.
"I do not know," I said.
"Knife," be said. "See? One holds the meat in one's hand and clenches it between the teeth, too. Then one cuts a bite from the meat, to eat it, thus the sign for knife."
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Draw an imaginary line across your throat with your right index finger.

"Good," I said. "And what does this mean?" I drew an imaginary line across my throat with my right index finger. I had seen Corn Stalks make this sign in his talk with Grunt.
Grunt's eyes clouded. "It is the sign for the Kaiila," he said, "the Cutthroat Tribe."
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Hold your fists in front of your chest, the thumbs almost touching, and then spread your fingers out horizontally.

"You may have seen this sign," said Grunt. "It is an interesting one." He then held his fists in front of his chest, his thumbs almost touching, and then spread his fingers out, horizontally.
"I have no idea what it means," I said.
"Does it remind you of nothing?" be asked. He repeated the sign.
Suddenly the hair on the back of my neck rose. "It is like men breaking out of columns," I said, "fanning out, to take up positions for battle."
"Yes," said Grunt. "It is the sign for soldiers." He then added to it the sign for riding, that of the kaiila in motion.
"Kaiila soldiers," I said. "Cavalry."
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Combine the sign for soldiers with the sign for riding.

"You may have seen this sign," said Grunt. "It is an interesting one." He then held his fists in front of his chest, his thumbs almost touching, and then spread his fingers out, horizontally.
"I have no idea what it means," I said.
"Does it remind you of nothing?" be asked. He repeated the sign.
Suddenly the hair on the back of my neck rose. "It is like men breaking out of columns," I said, "fanning out, to take up positions for battle."
"Yes," said Grunt. "It is the sign for soldiers." He then added to it the sign for riding, that of the kaiila in motion.
"Kaiila soldiers," I said. "Cavalry."
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Hold both your fists close to your chest with the backs of your hands down and the index fingers curved. Then make a forward circular motion.

"Yes," said Grunt, soberly. He then held both fists close to his chest, with the backs of his hands down and the index fingers curved. He then made a forward, circular motion.
"Wheels?" I said. "Wagons."
"Yes," said Grunt.
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Hold your right hand palm down at your shoulder and lower it toward the ground.

I held my right hand, palm down, even with my shoulder, and lowered it, until it was about eighteen inches from the ground.
"Height," said Grunt. "High. High grass. Summer."
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Fold your arms, the right arm resting on top of the left. Then raise both hands until your fingers point skyward. Each time you repeat this gesture means another day.

I folded my arms, the right arm resting on top of the left. I then raised both hands until my fingers pointed skyward.
"The spreading of light," said Grunt. "Day. Light."
I repeated the gesture twice more.
"Three days," said Grunt. "Three days ago, we may suppose."
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Raise your hands in front of your body, the fingers slightly curved, and sweep your hands together in a looping curve.

I raised my hands in front of my body, my fingers slightly curved. I then swept my hands together in a looping curve.
"Many," said Grunt. "Much. Plenty."
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Smote your hands slowly together three times.

I had smote my hands slowly together three times. It was like the beating of wings. It now stood, I saw, for the Fleer tribe. The fleer is a large, yellow, long-billed, gregarious, voracious bird of the Barrens. It is sometimes also called the Corn Bird or the Maize Bird.
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Hold up three fingers like their horns.

The sign for Kailiauk, as I had expected, was to hold up three fingers, suggesting the trident of horns adorning the shaggy head of this large, short-tempered, small-eyed, lumbering ruminant.
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Hold your hands in front of your body with the palms facing one another. With your left hand a bit ahead of the right, quickly brush the right palm past the left palm.

I held my hands in front of my body, with the palms facing one another, with the left hand a bit ahead of the right. I quickly brushed the right palm pass, the loft palm.
"Fast," said Grunt. "Quick. Hurry."
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Hold your left hand before your body, palm out, with the index and second fingers spread in a "V." Hold your right hand at your right shoulder, the index finger pointing up. Then, quickly bring the right index finger down, striking into space between space of the "V."

I held my left hand before my body, palm out, with my index and second fingers spread, forming a "V." I held my right band at my fight shoulder, the index finger pointing up. I then, quickly, brought my right index finger down, striking into the space between the index finger and second finger of my left hand.
"Kill," said Grunt, soberly. "Hit. Strike."
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Cup your right hand close to ground, the fingers partly closed, and then raise it a few inches from the ground with a short wavy motion.

"What is this sign?" I asked. I cupped my right hand close to the ground, my fingers partly closed. I then raised it a few inches from the ground, with a short, wavy motion.
"It is the sign for fire," said Grunt. "Flames."
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Place your right hand against your heart with the thumb and fingers pointing down and slightly cupped.

"What does this mean?" I asked. I placed my right hand against my heart, with the thumb and fingers pointing down and slightly cupped.
"Heart," said Grunt.
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Make the sign for heart and lower it to the ground.

I then lowered my hand toward the ground. I had seen Corn Stalks do this, after his account of the battle, if battle it had been.
"The heart is on the ground," said Grunt "My heart is on the ground. I am sad."
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Hold your right hand near your body, with your palm down and thumb close to your left breast. Then, with your right arm horizontal, sweep the hand outward and a bit to the right.

He held his right hand near his body, with the palm down and the thumb close to his left breast. Then, with his right arm horizontal, he swept his hand outward and a bit to the right This meant "good," that which is level with the heart.
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Move your flat right hand in a horizontal circle, clockwise, in front of your chest.

He then pointed to the girls. He moved his fiat right hand in a horizontal circle, clockwise, as Earth clocks move, not Gorean clocks, in front of his chest. This meant "all," the circle being complete.
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Extend your hands in a forward direction, the palms down, and then lower them.

He then extended his bands in a forward direction, the palms down, and lowered them. "Thank you," was the meaning of this sign.
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Hold your hands at the level of your chest with the index fingers pointing forward and your other fingers closed. Then draw back the right hand to the right some inches and then bring it forward again, moving it over the left hand.

He then held his hands at the level of his chest, with his index fingers pointing forward and the other fingers closed. He drew back his right hand, to the right, some inches, and then he brought it forward again, the index finger still extended, and moved it over his left hand. The first portion of this sign means "time," and the second portion indicates, presumably, the forward movement of time. Literally this sign, in both its portions, indicates "future," but it is used also for "good-bye," the rationale being perhaps similar to that in locutions such as 'I'll be seeing you' or 'Until we meet again'.
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Make the sign of time followed by the thrusting forth and drawing back of the right hand.

The sign for past, incidentally, is also the sign for "before." The sign for "time," predictably, enters into the sign for "before," but, in this case, it is followed by the thrusting forth and drawing back of the right hand. This is perhaps to suggest moving backward in time.
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Point your thumb toward your body.

Too, I jerked my thumb toward my body. This, in sign, signifies "I," "Me," or "Mine," depending on the context.
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 Hold your hands near the hround and curve your fingers upward.

I held my hands near the ground, with my fingers curved upward and slightly apart. I then swung my bands out in a small, upward curve.
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Make the sign for knife followed by the sign for fleer though the sign for knife will usually suffice.

The sign for the Yellow Knives had been the sign for knife, followed by the sign for fleer. I later learned the sign for knife alone would suffice for this tribe.
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