ILY sign
Encyclopedia
The ILY is a sign from American Sign Language
which, as a gesture, has moved into the mainstream. Seen primarily in the United States
and other Americanized countries, the sign originated among deaf schoolchildren using American Sign Language to create a sign from a combination of the signs for the letters I
, L
and Y
(I Love You).
The sign is a very informal way of expressing a number of positive emotions ranging from general esteem to love
for the recipient of the sign. A similar-looking but unrelated variation (thumb toward the palm rather than thumb extended) appears in heavy metal music
culture as a "devil's horns" hand-sign
.
from the early Twentieth Century do not recall seeing the sign anywhere until the 1970s
.
The sign received significant media exposure with Richard Dawson's use of the ILY in his signoff from each episode of the Family Feud
, which he hosted from 1976 to 1985. Presidential candidate Jimmy Carter
reportedly picked it up from a group of Deaf
supporters in the Midwest and, in 1977, during his Inauguration Day parade
, flashed the ILY to a group of Deaf people on the sidewalk.
American Sign Language
American Sign Language, or ASL, for a time also called Ameslan, is the dominant sign language of Deaf Americans, including deaf communities in the United States, in the English-speaking parts of Canada, and in some regions of Mexico...
which, as a gesture, has moved into the mainstream. Seen primarily in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and other Americanized countries, the sign originated among deaf schoolchildren using American Sign Language to create a sign from a combination of the signs for the letters I
I
I is the ninth letter and a vowel in the basic modern Latin alphabet.-History:In Semitic, the letter may have originated in a hieroglyph for an arm that represented a voiced pharyngeal fricative in Egyptian, but was reassigned to by Semites, because their word for "arm" began with that sound...
, L
L
Ł or ł, described in English as L with stroke, is a letter of the Polish, Kashubian, Sorbian, Łacinka , Łatynka , Wilamowicean, Navajo, Dene Suline, Inupiaq, Zuni, Hupa, and Dogrib alphabets, several proposed alphabets for the Venetian language, and the ISO 11940 romanization of the Thai alphabet...
and Y
Y
Y is the twenty-fifth letter in the basic modern Latin alphabet and represents either a vowel or a consonant in English.-Name:In Latin, Y was named Y Graeca "Greek Y". This was pronounced as I Graeca "Greek I", since Latin speakers had trouble pronouncing , which was not a native sound...
(I Love You).
The sign is a very informal way of expressing a number of positive emotions ranging from general esteem to love
Love
Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...
for the recipient of the sign. A similar-looking but unrelated variation (thumb toward the palm rather than thumb extended) appears in heavy metal music
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
culture as a "devil's horns" hand-sign
Corna
The sign of the horns is a hand gesture with a variety of meanings and uses in various cultures. It is formed by extending the index and little fingers while holding the middle and ring fingers down with the thumb.-Superstition:...
.
History
Deaf Heritage dates the origin of the ILY to 1905. However, resident students of deaf schoolsDeaf education
Deaf education is the academic discipline concerned the education of students with various hearing capabilities in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs.Deaf education also includes the study of:* Special education...
from the early Twentieth Century do not recall seeing the sign anywhere until the 1970s
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
.
The sign received significant media exposure with Richard Dawson's use of the ILY in his signoff from each episode of the Family Feud
Family Feud
Family Feud is an American television game show created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Two families compete against each other in a contest to name the most popular responses to a survey question posed to 100 people...
, which he hosted from 1976 to 1985. Presidential candidate Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
reportedly picked it up from a group of Deaf
Deaf American
A Deaf American is defined as a member of the American Sign Language linguistic minority. Though they are typically medically deaf, they can also include the children of Deaf people and a few hearing people who learn ASL and become adopted into the community...
supporters in the Midwest and, in 1977, during his Inauguration Day parade
Inauguration of Jimmy Carter
The inauguration of Jimmy Carter as the 39th President of the United States was held on January 20, 1977. The inauguration marked the commencement of the four-year term of Jimmy Carter as President and Walter Mondale as Vice President and also marked the end of a shortened term served by Carter's...
, flashed the ILY to a group of Deaf people on the sidewalk.