Signs for DAWN vs SUNRISE

[Alimf]

I was looking up the signs for DAWN and SUNRISE on handspeak.com, and discovered that they appear to be the same. I have two questions:

 

1) Am I just missing a subtle difference in the signing between those two, or are they really the same?

2) The difference between dawn and sunrise in my every day life is more than academic: I have certain things I have to do between dawn and sunrise. If I want to talk about that part of my my life in ASL, how might I differentiate between the signs for DAWN and SUNRISE?

[Cody Hartjes]

typically there are many signs that are the same. the difference is in the context of the sentence and how you use/manipulate the sign DAWN and SUNRISE. obviously with english the words are completely different but imply the general same concept. Example using both the sign dawn and sunrise.     If this is not clear you can always sign the sign and then finger spell out the word you meant.

I wake up when?  DAWN

vs

this morning SUNRISE did you see? Beautiful!

notice the difference in the context between both sentences? Hope this helps.

[Alimf]

I do see the context helping. The reason I was asking is that there are actual explanations I might sign which the context would NOT elucidate, and in which the difference is important. But there are enough technical hurdles in such explanations that I'm unlikely to use just the words "dawn" and "sunrise" even just in English, so the context would clarify.

(Did you know there are THREE dawns?)

[Cody Hartjes]

True. Finger spelling is always an option. Or if you are in a conversation with someone deaf or someone who studies ASL, can always ask if your meaning is clear. it never hurts to double check.