A Great Addition to Your ASL Tool Kit
The worst thing about this application is the name “DIG” which is a mnemonic for “Dictionary and Inflection Guide”. It is the result of a long standing project at the NTID to build a comphrensive video dictionary that existed earlier as a subscription website and a CD.
The application has two major components, a dictionary called “Signs” and categorized collections of signs called “Categories”; it has eliminated some of the more sophisticated capabilities of the website and the CD. The dictionary allows for both searching by entering a word or by browsing alphabetically. The category component organizes signs into related groups; for example, “Countries”. Novel categories are “Lexicalized Fingerspelling” and “Idiomatic Signs” which are handy references. The sign models are all native speakers and the videos are clear. A nice feature is that multiple variants are given for some words. At 2,700 words it is competitive with many conventional (paper) ASL dictionaries. This is another application that is a worthy addition to anyone’s tool kit for when you are mobile. It is self-contained and does not require any network connectivity which means you can use it anywhere, including on an airplane. It does not appear to have any significant bugs.
The CD is a great companion when you are in front of your desk top.
Deaf Mark about
ASL Dictionary from NTID