More about Merkel's Rhombus

In an earlier blog, I deliberated on Merkel's rhombus. Her hands form a rhombus whenever Angela addresses a crowd, possibly a sign of concentration.

©AP

The latest gossip suggests that our chancellor is forming the sign for the female reproductive organ. In his blog, Anatol Stefanowitch, professor of linguistics (!) in Berlin, however, shows that the vagina in German Sign Language is not an open rhombus.

In American Sign Language, the sign for the vagina is a rhombus. Still, it is flipped with the index fingers pointed toward the ground, the thumbs toward the sky, and the other fingers tucked under, as presented in the following picture:

©LDCB

Note the difference! Angela is not tucking her fingers under, as Professor Stefanowitch stresses in his blog Merkels versaute Raute (Merkel's filthy or rather screwed up? rhombus).

Swiss Sign Language (©AS)

Michel Obama (©LDCB)

However, in Swiss Sign Language, the vagina is presented by a rhombus, but again the fingers are not tucked under.

In addition, the website Life During the Commercial Break presents a picture of Michelle Obama. She is, as they write, showing us her family values.

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