To sign 'Jehovah', start by forming the ASL letter 'J' with your dominant hand, extending your pinky finger and tracing a 'J' shape in the air. As you finish the 'J' motion, smoothly transition your hand into the letter 'H' by extending your index and middle fingers together and pointing them horizontally. This sign is typically performed in the upper signing space, around shoulder or head level.
Sign 'He', 'pray', and then 'Jehovah' by smoothly tracing the 'J' and forming the 'H' near your shoulder.
Sign 'We', 'learn', 'about', and finish with the 'J' to 'H' motion for 'Jehovah', keeping the letters fluid.
Sign 'Jehovah', 'create', and 'earth', making sure the 'J' and 'H' handshapes are clear and distinct at the beginning of the sentence.
Sign 'He', 'pray', and then 'Jehovah' by smoothly tracing the 'J' and forming the 'H' near your shoulder.
Sign 'We', 'learn', 'about', and finish with the 'J' to 'H' motion for 'Jehovah', keeping the letters fluid.
Sign 'Jehovah', 'create', and 'earth', making sure the 'J' and 'H' handshapes are clear and distinct at the beginning of the sentence.
The sign uses the first letter 'J' and a prominent consonant 'H' from the word 'Jehovah' to create a quick, recognizable abbreviation. This is a common technique in ASL for proper nouns and titles.
While this sign means 'Jehovah', the phrase 'Jehovah's Witnesses' is often signed simply by fingerspelling the letters 'J' and 'W'. You can use the 'J-H' sign when referring to the name of God specifically.
You should always use your dominant hand for one-handed signs like this. If you are right-handed, use your right hand to trace the 'J' and form the 'H', and keep it consistent.
