Varieties of American Sign Language
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American Sign Language(ASL) developed in the United States, starting as a blend of local sign languages andFrench Sign Language(FSL).[1]Local varieties have developed in many countries, but there is little research on which should be considered dialects of ASL (such as Bolivian Sign Language) and which have diverged to the point of being distinct languages (such as Malaysian Sign Language).
The following are sign language varieties of ASL in countries other than the US and Canada, languages based on ASL withsubstratuminfluence from local sign languages, andmixed languagesin which ASL is a component. Distinction follow political boundaries, which may not correspond to linguistic boundaries.
Bolivian Sign Language
[edit]Bolivian Sign Language | |
---|---|
Lengua de Señas Bolivianas LSB | |
Native to | Bolivia |
Native speakers | 22,600 (2008)[2] |
French Sign
| |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | bvl |
Glottolog | boli1236 |
ELP | Bolivian Sign Language |
Bolivian Sign Language (Lengua de Señas Bolivianas, LSB) is a dialect ofAmerican Sign Language(ASL) used predominantly by the Deaf in Bolivia.
History
[edit]In 1973,American Sign Languagewas brought to Bolivia by Eleanor and Lloyd Powlison, missionaries from the United States.[3]An indigenous sign language (or perhaps sign languages) existed before the introduction and adoption of American Sign Language, though it is unknown how widespread or unified it was.[4]
The first book of LSB was published in 1992, but more than 90% of the signs were from ASL.[5]Due to research work in the 1990s and 2000s a lot of expressions in LSB were collected by Bolivian Deaf, and education materials for learning LSB or teaching in LSB were published. The dependence on words used in ASL was reduced, but the usage of ASL words still is over 70%.
Today LSB is used by more deaf Bolivians than the reported 400 in 1988 in theEthnologuereport,[2]due to the introduction of bilingual education (LSB as primary language and Spanish as secondary language) originally inRiberaltaand its adoption to other schools in Bolivia with the support of the Education Ministry of Bolivia and the growing social exchange of the Deaf.
In 1988, there were a total of 9 deaf institutions in the country and 46,800 deaf Bolivians.[2]In 2002 there were approximately 25 deaf schools.[5]
Burundian Sign Language
[edit]Burundian Sign Language | |
---|---|
Langue des Signes Burundaise | |
Native to | Burundi |
Native speakers | 5,000 (2020) to estimated 35,000–70,000 (2021)[6] |
American Sign
| |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | lsb |
Glottolog | buru1325 Burundi Sign Language |
Burundian Sign Language (LSB) is the national sign language of Burundi's Deaf community. It dates fromAndrew Foster's introduction of ASL into Burundi, but has diverged since. Mouthing and initialization are mostly based on French. ASL signers from the US are reported to have a hard time understanding videos in LSB, and LSB signers have a hard time understanding ASL videos, and Burundian Deaf consider their language to be distinct from ASL and from neighboring sign languages, such asUgandanandRwandan Sign.[7]
Costa Rican Sign Language
[edit]Costa Rican Sign Language | |
---|---|
New Costa Rican Sign Language | |
Native to | Costa Rica |
Native speakers | estimated 10,000–20,000 (2021)[8] |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | csr |
Glottolog | cost1249 |
Costa Rican Sign Language, also known New Costa Rican Sign Language or Modern Costa Rican Sign Language, is the nationalsign languageofCosta Rica'sDeaf community.It is used primarily by people born after 1960, and is about 60% cognate withAmerican Sign Language(Woodward 1991, 1992). It is unrelated to two known village sign languages of Costa Rica,Bribri Sign LanguageandBrunca Sign Language.[9][10]
Dominican Sign Language
[edit]Dominican Sign Language | |
---|---|
Native to | Dominican Republic |
Native speakers | estimated 21,000–43,000 (2021)[11] |
French Sign
| |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | doq |
Glottolog | domi1236 |
Dominican Sign Language (DGS) is a local variant of American Sign Language (ASL) used in the Dominican Republic. Many deaf Dominicans usehome sign,and are not fluent in Dominican Sign Language.
Dominican Sign Language originated from French Sign Language (LSF), which was introduced to Dominica by French missionaries and combined with local gesture traditions. Therefore, it has many similarities with French Sign Language.
There may also be some differences in grammatical structure between Dominican Sign Language and American Sign Language. For example, there may be differences in sentence structure, verb morphology, and word order.
Francophone African Sign Language
[edit]This section includes alist of references,related reading,orexternal links,but its sources remain unclear because it lacksinline citations.(April 2013) |
Francophone African Sign Language | |
---|---|
Native to | Ivory Coast, Benin, Cameroon, Gabon, and other areas ofFrancophone Westand Central Africa |
Native speakers | 12,500 in Benin (2008), 100,000 / est. 60,000–120,000 in Burkina Faso (2021), est. 14,000–28,000 in CAR (2021), est. 16,000–32,000 in Congo (2021), 2,000 (2008) to 7,000 (2021) in Gabon, est. 38,000–76,000 in Guinea (2021),[12]est. 77,000–155,000 in Ivory Coast (2021), est. 20,000–35,000 in Mali (2021), est. 24,000–48,000 in Togo (2021), no data elsewhere[13] |
French Sign
| |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | None(mis )Individual code: gus – Guinean Sign Language |
Glottolog | guin1250 Guinean Sign Languagelang1335 Langue des Signes Zairoise |
Francophone African Sign Language (Langue des signes d'Afrique francophone,or LSAF) is the variety, or varieties, ofAmerican Sign Language(ASL) used in several francophone countries of Africa. Education for the deaf in these countries is based on ASL and writtenFrench;there is therefore a French influence on the language of the classroom.[14]
With the exception ofAlgerian Sign Language,the sign languages offrancophone Africaare unrelated toFrench Sign Language,except indirectly through their derivation from ASL. This is because most schools for the deaf in the region were founded by the American missionaryAndrew Fosteror by his students, starting in 1974.Chadian Sign Languagemay be closest toNigerian Sign Language.A few countries have languages unrelated to either:Madagascar Sign Languagederives from Norwegian SL, andTunisian Sign Languageis apparently a language isolate.[citation needed]
The relationship of LSAF to standard American Sign Language has not been systematically assessed.[13]For instance, Gabonese Sign Language has diverged and may be a separate language,[13]and Togo Sign Language is not mutually intelligible with standard American Sign Language.[13]
Characteristics
[edit]As in other African derivations of ASL, the language has been affected by local gestures and conventions. This is especially true of taboo topics such as sex (Dalle 1996).
As an example of the French influence on francophone ASL, the word for 'she' is made by pointing with an L-shaped hand, rather than with a simple index finger, because the name of the letter el is homonymous withelle('she') in French. It is not clear to what extent such influence continues outside the classroom.
Location
[edit]Francophone African countries which use ASL as the language of Deaf instruction are:
- Senegal
- Mauritania
- Mali
- Guinea
- Ivory Coast
- Burkina Faso
- Togo
- Benin
- Niger
- Chad (from Nigeria)
- Central African Republic
- Gabon
- Republic of Congo (Brazzaville; from Nigeria)
- Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa;French Sign Languageis also used)
- Burundi
- Morocco
Haitian Sign Language
[edit]Haitian Sign Language | |
---|---|
Langue des Signes Haïtienne | |
Native to | Haiti |
Native speakers | 40,000 (2008)[13] |
French Sign
| |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | – |
Glottolog | hait1245 |
This sectionneeds expansion.You can help byadding to it.(August 2022) |
WhileAmerican Sign Languageis sometimes used in theHaitian Deaf community,it is not the most prominent inHaiti.The local variant, Haitian Sign Language, orLSH (Langue des Signes Haïtienne),is the sign language variant most often used. There are five government-run schools for Deaf children, and LSH is used and spread through these schools and other social areas for the Deaf community. Historically, LSH has not been widely documented or recognized, leading to the creation of theLSHDoP,the Haitian Sign Language Documentation Project. This project is run by the Haitian Deaf Community, in collaboration withGallaudet University.[15]
Ghanaian Sign Language
[edit]Ghanaian Sign Language | |
---|---|
Native to | Ghana |
Native speakers | estimated 91,000–182,000 (2021)[16] |
French Sign
| |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | gse |
Glottolog | ghan1235 |
Ghanaian Sign Language is the national sign language of deaf people inGhana,descended fromAmerican Sign Language.[16][17]It was introduced in 1957 byAndrew Foster,a deaf African-American missionary, as there had been no education or organizations for the deaf previously. Foster went on to establish the first school for the deaf in Nigeria a few years later, andNigerian Sign Languageshows influence from GSL. GSL is unrelated to indigenous Ghanaian sign languages such asAdamorobe Sign LanguageandNanabin Sign Language.
There are currently fourteen schools for the deaf in Ghana, thirteen primary schools and two secondary schools in Ghana, one atAkuapim-Mampong,the other atNavrongo.[18]GSL is supported by the Ghana National Association of the Deaf which has their headquarters inAccra.The Bible Society of Ghana has started translation of the Bible into Ghanaian sign language.
Greek Sign Language
[edit]Indonesian sign languages
[edit]Jamaican Sign Language
[edit]Jamaican Sign Language | |
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JSL | |
Native to | Jamaica |
Native speakers | 7,500 (2011)[19] |
French Sign
| |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | jls |
Glottolog | jama1263 |
Jamaican Sign Language(JSL) is a local variant ofAmerican Sign Languageused in Jamaica. It is supplanting the indigenousJamaican Country Sign Language.
Malaysian Sign Language
[edit]Moroccan Sign Language
[edit]Moroccan Sign Language | |
---|---|
MSL | |
Native to | Morocco |
Region | Tetouan |
Native speakers | 63,000 (2008)[21] |
French Sign
| |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | xms |
Glottolog | moro1242 |
Moroccan Sign Language (MSL) is the language of the deaf community ofTetouanand some other cities of Morocco.
American Peace Corps volunteers created Moroccan Sign Language in 1987 in Tetouan from American Sign Language (ASL) and the existing signs; there is less than a 50% lexical similarity with ASL. It is not clear if the 'existing signs' werehome signor an establishedvillage sign language.The language is used in three programs for the deaf, but not throughout the country: It is not used in the large cities of Rabat, Tangier, or Casablanca, for example. InOujda,near the Algerian border,Algerian Sign Languageis used, or at least the local sign language has been strongly influenced by it.[21]
Nigerian Sign Language
[edit]Nigerian Sign Language | |
---|---|
Native to | Nigeria,Chad,Republic of Congo |
Native speakers | 2,800 (2008) to estimated 48,000–96,000 (2021) in Chad;[22]estimated 600,000–1,000,000 in Nigeria (2021)[23] |
French Sign
| |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | Either:nsi – Nigerian Signcds – Chadian Sign |
Glottolog | nige1259 |
Nigerian Sign Language(NSL) is the nationalsign languageof deaf people inNigeria,however, Nigeria does not have a national sign language yet. ASL (with a possible mix of Signed English) was introduced in 1960, a few years afterGhanaian Sign Language,byAndrew Foster,a deaf African-American missionary, thereby raising a signing system some scholars have referred to as a dialect of ASL. Deaf education in Nigeria was based on oral method and existing indigenous sign languages were generally regarded as gestural communication prior to Andrew Foster's arrival. The conventional "Nigerian Sign Language" today has been described as the "School Sign Language" and is coded asnsion the repository of languages of the world bySIL International.There is a Ghanaian influence in NSL; both are based onAmerican Sign Language.The School Sign Language has little relationship with the various Indigenous Nigerian sign languages such asHausa Sign Language,Yoruba Sign Language,andBura Sign Language.The Save the Deaf and Endangered Languages Initiative[24]and Nigerian National Association of the Deaf[25]have been working to document indigenous and national varieties of NSL both for research and reference for the Nigerian deaf population.[24][25]
Chadian and Congolese teachers for the deaf are trained in Nigeria. There are deaf schools in Chad in N’Djamena, Sarh, and Moundou.[citation needed]
Panamanian Sign Language
[edit]Panamanian Sign Language | |
---|---|
Lengua de señas panameñas | |
Native to | Panama |
Native speakers | 9,000 (2008)[26] |
French Sign
| |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | lsp |
Glottolog | pana1308 |
ELP | Panamanian Sign Language |
Panamanian Sign Language(Lengua de señas panameñas,LSP) is one of twodeaf sign languagesofPanama.It derived fromAmerican Sign Languageand influenced bySalvadoran Sign Language.[26][27]
See alsoChiriqui Sign Language.
Philippine Sign Language
[edit]Puerto Rican Sign Language
[edit]Puerto Rican Sign Language | |
---|---|
Lengua de señas puertorriqueña | |
Native to | Puerto Rico |
Ethnicity | 8,000 to 40,000 deaf (1986)[30] |
Native speakers | est. 6,000–13,000 (2021)[30] |
French Sign
| |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | psl |
Glottolog | puer1237 |
ELP | Puerto Rican Sign Language |
Puerto Rican Sign Language (PRSL) is a variety or descendant ofAmerican Sign Language,which was introduced to Puerto Rico in 1907. It is not clear how far PRSL may have diverged from ASL, butEthnologuespeaks of bilingualism in ASL as well as speakers who know only PRSL.[30]
Sierra Leonean Sign Language
[edit]Sierra Leonean Sign Language | |
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Native to | Sierra Leone |
Region | Freetown |
Ethnicity | 3,000–5,000 (2008)[31] |
Native speakers | 200 (2008) to est. 23,000–46,000 (2021)[31] |
French Sign
| |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | sgx |
Glottolog | sier1246 |
Sierra Leonean Sign Language is a variety or descendant ofAmerican Sign Language(ASL) used inschools for the deafinSierra Leone,or at least in the capitalFreetown.As in much of West Africa, the first schools for the deaf were founded by the American missionaryAndrew Fosteror his students.
Selangor Sign Language
[edit]Selangor Sign Language | |
---|---|
Bahasa Isyarat Selangor | |
Native to | Malaysia |
Region | Kuala LumpurandSelangor |
Native speakers | 500 (no date)[32] Mostly elderly, all bilingual inMalaysian Sign |
French Sign
| |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | kgi |
Glottolog | sela1253 |
ELP | Selangor Sign Language |
Selangor Sign Language (SSL), also known as Kuala Lumpur Sign Language (KLSL), is a sign language used inMalaysia.It was originally based onAmerican Sign Language(ASL) but has diverged significantly enough to now be considered a language in its own right. Kuala Lumpur was formerly located in the state ofSelangorbefore it became a federal territory in 1974.
LikePenang Sign Language(PSL), it now mainly used by older people, although many younger people can understand it.
Singapore Sign Language
[edit]Thai Sign Language
[edit]See also
[edit]- Black American Sign Language– Dialect of American Sign Language
Bibliography
[edit]- Kamei, Nobutaka ed. 2008.Langue des Signes d'Afrique Francophone (LSAF)(DVD). Fuchu: Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies.
- Tamomo, Serge. 1994.Le language des signes du sourd Africain Francophone.Cotonou, Bénin: PEFISS.
- Garay, S. (2004).Understanding the Panama Deaf Community & Sign Language: Lengua de Señas Panameñas.(Instructional CD) Asociación Nacional de Sordos de Panamá.
- —— (1990).Panama's sign language dictionary: Lengua de señas panameñas.Asociación Nacional de Sordos de Panamá.
References
[edit]- ^"What Is American Sign Language (ASL)? | NIDCD".nidcd.nih.gov.2021-10-29.Retrieved2024-02-15.
- ^abcBolivian Sign LanguageatEthnologue(25th ed., 2022)
- ^"School for the Deaf Faces Hostile Takeover".World Watch Monitor. Aug 18, 2000. Archived fromthe originalon June 29, 2015.RetrievedJun 29,2015.
- ^Holbrook, David (2009)."Bolivia Deaf Community and Sign Language Pre-Survey Report"(PDF).SIL International.
- ^abCollaud, Carole."Projektinformationen: Bericht von Carole Collaud, 1. Teil"(in German).RetrievedJune 29,2015.
- ^Burundian Sign LanguageatEthnologue(25th ed., 2022)
- ^"Request for Change to ISO 639-3 Language Code"(PDF).iso639-3.sil.org.Retrieved2023-08-10.
- ^Costa Rican Sign LanguageatEthnologue(25th ed., 2022)
- ^James Woodward, 1991, "Sign Language Varieties in Costa Rica", inSign Language Studies73, p. 329-346
- ^Gaurav Mathur & Donna Jo Napoli, 2010,Deaf around the World: The Impact of Language,Oxford University Press,page 43
- ^Dominican Sign LanguageatEthnologue(25th ed., 2022)
- ^Varieties of American Sign LanguageatEthnologue(25th ed., 2022)
- ^abcdeASLatEthnologue(25th ed., 2022)
- ^"Francophone African Sign Language - AASL".Aasl.aacore.jp.Retrieved2012-05-21.
- ^Hochgesang, Julie A.; Mcauliff, Kate (2016)."An Initial Description of the Deaf Community in Haiti and Haitian Sign Language (LSH)".Sign Language Studies.16(2): 227–294.doi:10.1353/sls.2016.0003.ISSN1533-6263.
- ^abGhanaian Sign LanguageatEthnologue(25th ed., 2022)
- ^Edward, Mary. 2014. The Phonology and Morphology of Ghanaian Sign Language. Atelier International sign language workshop at the Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire on 24th July. 2014
- ^Knoors, Harry; Brons, Maria; Marschark, Marc (2019).Deaf education beyond the Western world: context, challenges, and prospects.New York: Oxford University Press.ISBN9780190880514.
- ^Jamaican Sign LanguageatEthnologue(25th ed., 2022)
- ^Hasuria Che Omar (2009).Penterjemahan dan Bahasa Isyarat[Translation and Sign Language] (in Malay). ITBM. p. 43.ISBN978-983-068-469-7.
- ^abMoroccan Sign LanguageatEthnologue(25th ed., 2022)
- ^Chadian Sign LanguageatEthnologue(25th ed., 2022)
- ^Nigerian Sign LanguageatEthnologue(25th ed., 2022)
- ^ab"Save the Deaf and Endangered Languages Initiative".S-DELI.Retrieved25 April2018.
- ^ab"Official Website of the Nigeria National Association of the Deaf".NNAD.Retrieved25 April2018.
- ^abPanamanian Sign LanguageatEthnologue(25th ed., 2022)
- ^Joma, Susana (2006-01-19)."Escuela para niños sordos".El Diario de Hoy(in Spanish). Archived fromthe originalon 2016-03-06.
- ^Hammarström, Harald; Forke, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin; Bank, Sebastian, eds. (2020)."Philippine Sign Language".Glottolog4.3.
- ^abMartinez, PhD, Liza (December 1, 2012)."Primer on Filipino Sign Language".Philippine Daily Inquirer.RetrievedFebruary 9,2017.
- ^abcPuerto Rican Sign LanguageatEthnologue(25th ed., 2022)
- ^abSierra Leonean Sign LanguageatEthnologue(25th ed., 2022)
- ^Selangor Sign LanguageatEthnologue(16th ed., 2009)
- ^"Singapore Sign Language".SADeaf.Archivedfrom the original on 2023-08-02.Retrieved2020-12-26.
- ^Reilly, Charles & Suvannus, Sathaporn (1999).Education of deaf people in the kingdom of Thailand.In Brelje, H.William (ed.) (1999).Global perspectives on education of the deaf in selected countries.Hillsboro, OR: Butte. pp. 367–82. NB. This is a prevalence estimate 1/1000 people as deaf. Based on 2007 figures of Thailand's population, an estimate of 67,000 deaf people is more accurate.[citation needed]Furthermore, hearing-speaking people are beginning to learn and use the Thai Sign Language.
External links
[edit]- Sophie Dalle, 1996–1997,Rapport de Stage: La language de signes au Congo(in French)
- French Sign Language family
- American Sign Language family
- Languages of Bolivia
- Languages of Ghana
- Languages of Nigeria
- Languages of Chad
- Languages of the Republic of the Congo
- Languages of Ivory Coast
- Languages of Benin
- Languages of Cameroon
- Languages of Guinea
- Languages of Togo
- Languages of Gabon
- Languages of Senegal
- Languages of Mali
- Languages of Burkina Faso
- Languages of Niger
- Languages of the Central African Republic
- Languages of Mauritania
- Languages of Costa Rica