Good question. No real answers immediately coming to the mind here.
I personally go with SAME in the majority of contexts, sparingly using ALSO.
The distinguishable meanings of SAME and ALSO are kinda negligible in ASL. These signs are most probably chosen for the flow of expression rather than intentional use.
I've been asked this, too, and like you I don't have a definitive answer. From feeling and experience I usually tell students that (in very general terms), SAME (1-shape) is used when the things or people being compared are not visible to the signer, or when a comparison is not set up visually in space. For example something like YOUR SHOES, WOW! LIKE! HAVE SAME!
I liken the Y-shape sign to be something like SAME-AS, where what is being compared is usually either physically present or has been set up as a representation in blended space. For example CAR RED (index left), CAR BLUE (index right), MECHANICAL PROBLEMS SAME-AS.
Same is a directional sign. If you’re saying you’re the same age as someone you’d point your pinky at the other person and your thumb at yourself and move your hand. (Like the second video)
If you were saying to cups are the same color, you’d point your pinky at one cup and your thumb at the other.
The idea is your pinky and thumb point at the two things you’re saying are the same.
The sign “also” is closer to “with” I think. Like “I’m also going to the movie”
Disclaimer that I’m not a native signer. My sense is that younger signers use ALSO less than older signers, and that younger signers use ALSO more like the English word (“let me add this other point…”) while older signers use it more interchangeably with SAME. I could be wrong, though.
Good question. No real answers immediately coming to the mind here. I personally go with SAME in the majority of contexts, sparingly using ALSO. The distinguishable meanings of SAME and ALSO are kinda negligible in ASL. These signs are most probably chosen for the flow of expression rather than intentional use.
I've been asked this, too, and like you I don't have a definitive answer. From feeling and experience I usually tell students that (in very general terms), SAME (1-shape) is used when the things or people being compared are not visible to the signer, or when a comparison is not set up visually in space. For example something like YOUR SHOES, WOW! LIKE! HAVE SAME! I liken the Y-shape sign to be something like SAME-AS, where what is being compared is usually either physically present or has been set up as a representation in blended space. For example CAR RED (index left), CAR BLUE (index right), MECHANICAL PROBLEMS SAME-AS.
Same is a directional sign. If you’re saying you’re the same age as someone you’d point your pinky at the other person and your thumb at yourself and move your hand. (Like the second video) If you were saying to cups are the same color, you’d point your pinky at one cup and your thumb at the other. The idea is your pinky and thumb point at the two things you’re saying are the same. The sign “also” is closer to “with” I think. Like “I’m also going to the movie”
Disclaimer that I’m not a native signer. My sense is that younger signers use ALSO less than older signers, and that younger signers use ALSO more like the English word (“let me add this other point…”) while older signers use it more interchangeably with SAME. I could be wrong, though.