View source for ILY sign

{{Short description|American Sign Language gesture}}
{{distinguish
|kitsune sign
|shaka sign
|sign of the horns
}}

{{more footnotes needed
|date=February 2010
}}

[[file:ASL ILY@Side-PalmForward.jpg|thumb|The ILY is a common sign in ASL [[deaf culture]] meaning, "I Love You" (informal).]]

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 L'''ove '''Y'''ou).<ref>
{{cite web
|url=https://lifeprint.com/asl101/topics/i_love_you.htm
|title=Sign Language: I Love You
|publisher=American Sign Language University
}}
</ref>

<gallery>
I+L+Y=ILYsign.png|production
ILY Sutton.svg|[[SignWriting]] transcription
ase-ILY@Side-PalmForward-ASLwrite.svg|[[ASLwrite]] transcription
</gallery>

The sign is an informal expression of any of several positive feelings, ranging from general esteem to [[love]], for the recipient of the sign.  A similar-looking but unrelated variation in which the thumb is toward the palm appears in [[heavy metal music]] culture as a [[Sign of the horns|"horns" hand-sign]] (though the thumbs extended version is sometimes used) and in [[college football]] as a [[Hook 'em Horns|sign of support for various teams]] including the [[University of Texas]]. The [[University of Louisiana at Lafayette]]'s [[Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns|Ragin' Cajuns]] Athletics uses the ILY sign to symbolize the initials of the university (UL).

== History ==

''Deaf Heritage'' dates the origin of the ILY to 1905.<ref>
{{cite book
|title=Deaf Heritage: A Narrative History of Deaf America
|date=June 30, 2012
|author=Jack R. Gannon
|publisher=[[Gallaudet University]] Press
|isbn=978-1563685149
}}
</ref> The sign received significant media exposure with [[Richard Dawson]]'s use of the ILY in his sign off 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 [[inauguration of Jimmy Carter|his Inauguration Day parade]], flashed the ILY to a group of deaf people on the sidewalk.

The character {{unichar
|1F91F
|I LOVE YOU HAND SIGN
}} was added to the [[Unicode]] standard in version 11.0, released June 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://unicode.org/emoji/charts-5.0/emoji-released.html|title=Emoji Recently Added, v5.0|publisher=Unicode Consortium}}</ref><ref>
{{cite web
|title=The Unicode Standard, Version 11.0.0 Appendix C
|url=https://unicode.org/versions/Unicode11.0.0/appC.pdf
|publisher=Unicode Consortium
|access-date=2018-06-11
}}
</ref>
{{external media
|float=right
|video1=[https://youtube.com/watch?v=sdzrQlu8PzA Appeal to add ILY and other signs to Unicode], [[YouTube]] video
}}This followed a campaign to have several common signs added to the [[Unicode Character Set]].<ref>[https://unicode.org/L2/L2016/16308-more-hand-gestures.pdf More hand gestures]. Unicode Consortium.</ref>

== In popular culture ==
{{unreferenced section
|date=January 2022
}}
[[File:Heart and Stroke Foundation - The Heart Truth celebrity fashion show - Red Dress - Red Gown - Thursday February 8, 2012 - Creative Commons.jpg|thumb|upright|Gene Simmons showing the ILY sign at a fashion show, 2012]]

Popular 80s professional wrestler [[Jimmy Snuka]] would frequently flash the ILY sign with both hands during his matches and interviews, including while standing on the top rope before delivering his finishing move "Superfly Splash".

The ILY sign is used by the [[Marvel Comics]] superhero [[Spider-Man]] to activate his web shooters. Additionally [[Doctor Strange]] uses it as a means to cast his mystical spells.

[[Gene Simmons]] of the rock band [[Kiss (band)|Kiss]] has used the symbol in photoshoots, concerts and public appearances since 1974. He has stated in a television interviews that he was a Marvel comics fan, and was inspired by the Doctor Strange use of the symbol to use it himself in photoshoots. He later (by 1976 or earlier) had black gloves made that lacked index and pinky fingers so that even his raised open hand would emulate the ILY sign.

The ending pose of the popular [[K-pop]] song "[[Boy with Luv]]" by [[BTS (band)|BTS]] also incorporates this sign with all the members turning around and raising their right hands in this sign.

Throughout the [[K-pop]] song "[[Fancy (Twice song)|Fancy]]", the members of the girl group [[Twice]] do this gesture when dancing.

In the anime ''[[Love Live! School Idol Project|Love Live!]]'', Nico Yazawa has a catchphrase ''nico nico nii'', and has her own action with it, which incorporates the symbol.

The ILY sign is also a part of the choreography for the song [[Case 143|"CASE 143"]] by [[Stray Kids]] (with "143" as a code for "I love you"). It's the title song of their EP [[Maxident|''MAXIDENT'']] in which they are referencing love as a "maximum accident".

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Wiktionary inline|ILY@Side-PalmForward}}
* {{Commons category inline|ILY sign}}

{{gestures}}
{{sign language}}

[[Category:Hand gestures]]
[[Category:Love]]
[[Category:American Sign Language]]