Is there a different sign language for each language? Or is it universal?
Deaf sign languages
[edit] Contemporary
[edit] Africa
There are at least 25 sign languages in Africa, according to researcher Nobutaka Kamei.[2][3][4] Some have distributions that are completely independent of those of African spoken languages. At least 13 foreign sign languages, mainly from Europe and America, have been introduced to at least 27 African nations; some of the 23 sign languages documented by Kamei have originated with or been influenced by them.
* Adamorobe Sign Language (ADS) (Ghana)
* Algerian Sign Language
* Bamako Sign Language (in a school in Mali)
* Bura Sign Language — Nigeria (PDF link)
* Chadian Sign Language
* Congolesian Sign Language
* Egypt Sign Language
* Ethiopian Sign Language
* Franco-American Sign Language — a pidgin observed in Cameroon and elsewhere in West and Central Africa.
* Gambian Sign Language
* Ghana Sign Language (or "Ghanaian Sign Language") (GSE)
* Guinean Sign Language
* Hausa Sign Language "Maganar Hannu" (HSL) — Northern Nigeria (Kano State)
* Kenyan Sign Language (KSL or LAK)
* Libyan Sign Language
* Malagasy Sign Language (or "Madagascan Sign Language")
* Malinese Sign Language "Langue des Signes Malienne" (LaSiMa)
* Moroccan Sign Language
* Mozambican Sign Language
* Mbour Sign Language — Senegal
* Namibian Sign Language
* Nigerian Sign Language
* Sierra Leone Sign Language
* Somali Sign Language
* South African Sign Language (SASL)
* Tanzanian Sign Language (seven varieties, one for each deaf school in Tanzania, with limited mutual influence)
* Tunisian Sign Language
* Uganda Sign Language (USL)
* Zambian Sign Language (ZASL)
* Zimbabwe Sign Language
[edit] The Americas
* American Sign Language (ASL)
* Argentine Sign Language (LSA)
* Bolivian Sign Language
* Brazilian Sign Language "Lingua Brasileira de Sinais" (LIBRAS)
* Chilean Sign Language "Lenguaje de Señas Chileno" (LSCH)
* Colombian Sign Language (CSN)
* Costa Rican Sign Language (LESCO)
* Cuba Sign Language
* Ecuadorian Sign Language
* Greenlandic Inuit Sign Language "Kalaallisut Ussersuutit"
* Guatemalan Sign Language
* Honduras Sign Language "Lengua de señas hondureña" (LESHO)
* Inuit Sign Language "Inuit Uqausiqatigiit Uukturausiq Uqajuittunut (General Inuit Sign Language for Deaf)"
* Inuktitut Sign Language "Inuktitut Uukturausiq/Tikuqqat"
* Jamaican Sign Language (JSL)
* Maritime Sign Language
* Mayan sign languages
* Mexican Sign Language "Lengua de señas mexicana" (LSM)
* Nicaraguan Sign Language "Idioma de señas nicaragüense" (ISN)
* Quebec Sign Language "Langue des Signes Québécoise" (LSQ)
* Panamanian Sign Language "Lengua de señas panameñas"
* Peruvian Sign Language "Lengua de señas peruana"
* Providence Island Sign Language
* Salvadoran Sign Language
* Uruguayan Sign Language "Lengua de Señas Uruguaya"
* Urubú Sign Language
* Venezuelan Sign Language "Lengua de señas venezolana" (LSV)
* Yucatec Maya Sign Language
[edit] Asia/Pacific
* Auslan (Australian Sign Language)
* Ban Khor Sign Language — used in the Isan region of Thailand.
* Bengali Sign Language
* Bruneian Sign Language "Bahasa Isyarat Brunei"
* Cambodian Sign Language
* Chinese Sign Language "中國手語" (ZGS)
* Filipino Sign Language "Philippine Sign Language" (PSL)
* Hawaii Pidgin Sign Language
* Hong Kong Sign Language "香港手語" (HKSL)
* Huay Hai Sign Language (Thailand)
* Indo-Pakistani Sign Language or Indian Sign Language
* Indonesian Sign Language "Bahasa Isyarat Indonesia" (BII)
* Japanese Sign Language "日本手話" (Nihon Shuwa or Nihon Syuwa), (NS)
* Kata Kolok — used in Bali
* Laos Sign Language
* Korean Sign Language "한국수어(or 한국수화)" / "Hanguk Soo-hwa"
* Macau Sign Language "澳門手語"
* Malaysian Sign Language "Bahasa Isyarat Malaysia" (BIM)
* Mongolian Sign Language
* Na Sai Sign Language (Thailand)
* Nepal Sign Language
* New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL)
* Old Bangkok Sign Language
* Old Chiangmai Sign Language
* Plaa Pag Sign Language
* Penang Sign Language (used in Malaysia)
* Samoan Sign Language
* Selangor Sign Language (used in Malaysia)
* Singapore Sign Language "新加坡手语", which is rather Signed Exact English - SEE)
* Sri Lankan Sign Language
* Taiwanese Sign Language 臺灣手語 / Taiwan Ziran Shouyu
* Tibetan Sign Language
* Thai Sign Language (TSL) "แบบสะกดนิ้วมือไทย"
* Vietnamese sign languages (Hanoi Sign Language, Ho Chi Minh Sign Language, Haiphong Sign Language)
[edit] Europe
* Albanian Sign Language "Gjuha e Shenjave Shqipe"
* Armenian Sign Language
* Austrian Sign Language "Österreichische Gebärdensprache" (ÖGS)
* Belgian-French Sign Language "Langue des Signes de Belgique Francophone" (LSFB)
* British Sign Language (BSL)
* Bulgarian Sign Language
* Catalan Sign Language (or "Catalonian Sign Language") "Llengua de Signes Catalana" (LSC)
* Croatian Sign Language (Croslan) "Hrvatski Znakovni Jezik" (HZJ)
* Czech Sign Language "Český znakový jazyk" (CZJ)
* Danish Sign Language "Tegnsprog"
* Dutch Sign Language "Nederlandse Gebarentaal" (NGT), also commonly known as "Sign Language of the Netherlands" (SLN)
* Estonian Sign Language "Eesti viipekeel"
* Finnish Sign Language "Suomalainen viittomakieli" (SVK)
* Finland-Swedish Sign Language "finlandssvenskt teckenspråk" (Swedish) or "suomenruotsalainen viittomakieli" (Finnish)
* Flemish Sign Language "Vlaamse Gebarentaal" (VGT)
* French Sign Language "Langues des Signes Française" (LSF)
* German Sign Language "Deutsche Gebärdensprache" (DGS)
* Greek Sign Language "Ελληνική Νοηματική Γλώσσα" (GSL)
* Hungarian Sign Language "Magyar jelnyelv"
* Icelandic Sign Language "Íslenskt Táknmál"
* Irish Sign Language "Teanga Chomharthaíochta na hÉireann" (ISL/ISG and TCÉ)
* Italian Sign Language "Lingua dei Segni Italiana" (LIS)
* Latvian Sign Language "Latviešu Zīmju Valoda"
* Lithuanian Sign Language "Lietuvių gestų kalba"
* Maltese Sign Language "Lingwi tas-Sinjali Maltin" (LSM)
* Norwegian Sign Language "Tegnspråk" (NSL)
* Polish Sign Language "Polski Język Migowy" (PJM)
* Portuguese Sign Language "Língua Gestual Portuguesa" (LGP)
* Russian Sign Language "Russkiy zhestovyi yazyk" / русский жестовый язык
* Slovakian Sign Language "Slovník Posunkovej Reči"
* Slovene Sign Language "Slovenski znakovni jezik"
* Spanish Sign Language "Lengua de signos española" (LSE)
* Swedish Sign Language "Svenskt teckenspråk" (TSP)
* Swiss-French Sign Language "Langage Gestuelle"
* Swiss-German Sign Language "Deutschschweizer Gebärdensprache" (DSGS)
* Turkish Sign Language "Türk İşaret Dili" (TİD)
* Ukrainian Sign Language "українська жестова мова"
* Valencian Sign Language "Llengua de Signes en la Comunitat Valenciana" (LSCV)
[edit] Middle East
* Al-Sayyid Bedouin Sign Language (ABSL), Southern Israel
* Iraqi Sign Language العراقى مترجمي لغة الاشارة
* Israeli Sign Language שפת סימנים ישראלית
* Jordanian Sign Language Lughat il-Ishaarah il-Urduniah / الاردنية مترجمي لغة الاشارة (LIU)
* Kuwaiti Sign Language لغة الاشارة الكويتية
* Lebanese Sign Language Lughat al-Isharat al-Lubnaniya / لغة الإشارات اللبنانية
* Omani Sign Language "العماني لغة الأشارة"
* Palestinian Sign Language "لغة الاشارات الفلسطينية"
* Persian Sign Language
* Qatari Sign Language "القطري لغة الأشارة"
* Saudi Arabian Sign Language "السعودية مترجمي لغة الاشارة"
* United Arab Emirates Sign Language "الامارات مترجمي لغة الاشارة"
* Yemeni Sign Language "اليمني لغة الأشارة"
[edit] Historical sign languages
* BANZSL - Language family to which BSL, Auslan, and NZSL belong
* Martha's Vineyard Sign Language
* Old French Sign Language - Parent language of many sign languages
* Old Kent Sign Language
[edit] Auxiliary sign systems
* Australian Aboriginal sign languages
* Baby Sign - using signs to assist early language development in young children.
* Baseball Sign - a method used in baseball and softball to communicate strategic plays without the opponent knowing
* Contact Sign - a pidgin or contact language between a spoken language and a sign language, eg. Pidgin Sign English (PSE).
* Curwin Hand Signs - a technique which allows musical notes to be communicated through hand signs.
* International Sign (previously known as Gestuno) - an auxiliary language used by deaf people in international settings.
* Makaton - a system of signed communication used by and with people who have speech, language or learning difficulties.
* Monastic sign language
* Plains Indian Sign Language
* Tic tac - a traditional British system of communicating betting odds at racecourses.
* Military hand signals - a standardised system of communicating commands and information silently.
[edit] Signed modes of spoken languages
For a more extensive list see Manually Coded Language. This page lists only those MCLs with pages on Wikipedia.
* General
o Cued Speech - a hand/mouth system (HMS) to render spoken language phonemes visually intelligible.
o Fingerspelling - alphabetic signs to represent the written form of a spoken language.
* English
o Manually Coded English
o Seeing Essential English (SEE1)
o Signing Exact English (SEE2)
* Esperanto
o Signuno
* Malay
o Bahasa Malaysia Kod Tangan (BMKT)
* Warlpiri
o Warlpiri Sign Language
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sign_languages
[edit] Contemporary
[edit] Africa
There are at least 25 sign languages in Africa, according to researcher Nobutaka Kamei.[2][3][4] Some have distributions that are completely independent of those of African spoken languages. At least 13 foreign sign languages, mainly from Europe and America, have been introduced to at least 27 African nations; some of the 23 sign languages documented by Kamei have originated with or been influenced by them.
* Adamorobe Sign Language (ADS) (Ghana)
* Algerian Sign Language
* Bamako Sign Language (in a school in Mali)
* Bura Sign Language — Nigeria (PDF link)
* Chadian Sign Language
* Congolesian Sign Language
* Egypt Sign Language
* Ethiopian Sign Language
* Franco-American Sign Language — a pidgin observed in Cameroon and elsewhere in West and Central Africa.
* Gambian Sign Language
* Ghana Sign Language (or "Ghanaian Sign Language") (GSE)
* Guinean Sign Language
* Hausa Sign Language "Maganar Hannu" (HSL) — Northern Nigeria (Kano State)
* Kenyan Sign Language (KSL or LAK)
* Libyan Sign Language
* Malagasy Sign Language (or "Madagascan Sign Language")
* Malinese Sign Language "Langue des Signes Malienne" (LaSiMa)
* Moroccan Sign Language
* Mozambican Sign Language
* Mbour Sign Language — Senegal
* Namibian Sign Language
* Nigerian Sign Language
* Sierra Leone Sign Language
* Somali Sign Language
* South African Sign Language (SASL)
* Tanzanian Sign Language (seven varieties, one for each deaf school in Tanzania, with limited mutual influence)
* Tunisian Sign Language
* Uganda Sign Language (USL)
* Zambian Sign Language (ZASL)
* Zimbabwe Sign Language
[edit] The Americas
* American Sign Language (ASL)
* Argentine Sign Language (LSA)
* Bolivian Sign Language
* Brazilian Sign Language "Lingua Brasileira de Sinais" (LIBRAS)
* Chilean Sign Language "Lenguaje de Señas Chileno" (LSCH)
* Colombian Sign Language (CSN)
* Costa Rican Sign Language (LESCO)
* Cuba Sign Language
* Ecuadorian Sign Language
* Greenlandic Inuit Sign Language "Kalaallisut Ussersuutit"
* Guatemalan Sign Language
* Honduras Sign Language "Lengua de señas hondureña" (LESHO)
* Inuit Sign Language "Inuit Uqausiqatigiit Uukturausiq Uqajuittunut (General Inuit Sign Language for Deaf)"
* Inuktitut Sign Language "Inuktitut Uukturausiq/Tikuqqat"
* Jamaican Sign Language (JSL)
* Maritime Sign Language
* Mayan sign languages
* Mexican Sign Language "Lengua de señas mexicana" (LSM)
* Nicaraguan Sign Language "Idioma de señas nicaragüense" (ISN)
* Quebec Sign Language "Langue des Signes Québécoise" (LSQ)
* Panamanian Sign Language "Lengua de señas panameñas"
* Peruvian Sign Language "Lengua de señas peruana"
* Providence Island Sign Language
* Salvadoran Sign Language
* Uruguayan Sign Language "Lengua de Señas Uruguaya"
* Urubú Sign Language
* Venezuelan Sign Language "Lengua de señas venezolana" (LSV)
* Yucatec Maya Sign Language
[edit] Asia/Pacific
* Auslan (Australian Sign Language)
* Ban Khor Sign Language — used in the Isan region of Thailand.
* Bengali Sign Language
* Bruneian Sign Language "Bahasa Isyarat Brunei"
* Cambodian Sign Language
* Chinese Sign Language "中國手語" (ZGS)
* Filipino Sign Language "Philippine Sign Language" (PSL)
* Hawaii Pidgin Sign Language
* Hong Kong Sign Language "香港手語" (HKSL)
* Huay Hai Sign Language (Thailand)
* Indo-Pakistani Sign Language or Indian Sign Language
* Indonesian Sign Language "Bahasa Isyarat Indonesia" (BII)
* Japanese Sign Language "日本手話" (Nihon Shuwa or Nihon Syuwa), (NS)
* Kata Kolok — used in Bali
* Laos Sign Language
* Korean Sign Language "한국수어(or 한국수화)" / "Hanguk Soo-hwa"
* Macau Sign Language "澳門手語"
* Malaysian Sign Language "Bahasa Isyarat Malaysia" (BIM)
* Mongolian Sign Language
* Na Sai Sign Language (Thailand)
* Nepal Sign Language
* New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL)
* Old Bangkok Sign Language
* Old Chiangmai Sign Language
* Plaa Pag Sign Language
* Penang Sign Language (used in Malaysia)
* Samoan Sign Language
* Selangor Sign Language (used in Malaysia)
* Singapore Sign Language "新加坡手语", which is rather Signed Exact English - SEE)
* Sri Lankan Sign Language
* Taiwanese Sign Language 臺灣手語 / Taiwan Ziran Shouyu
* Tibetan Sign Language
* Thai Sign Language (TSL) "แบบสะกดนิ้วมือไทย"
* Vietnamese sign languages (Hanoi Sign Language, Ho Chi Minh Sign Language, Haiphong Sign Language)
[edit] Europe
* Albanian Sign Language "Gjuha e Shenjave Shqipe"
* Armenian Sign Language
* Austrian Sign Language "Österreichische Gebärdensprache" (ÖGS)
* Belgian-French Sign Language "Langue des Signes de Belgique Francophone" (LSFB)
* British Sign Language (BSL)
* Bulgarian Sign Language
* Catalan Sign Language (or "Catalonian Sign Language") "Llengua de Signes Catalana" (LSC)
* Croatian Sign Language (Croslan) "Hrvatski Znakovni Jezik" (HZJ)
* Czech Sign Language "Český znakový jazyk" (CZJ)
* Danish Sign Language "Tegnsprog"
* Dutch Sign Language "Nederlandse Gebarentaal" (NGT), also commonly known as "Sign Language of the Netherlands" (SLN)
* Estonian Sign Language "Eesti viipekeel"
* Finnish Sign Language "Suomalainen viittomakieli" (SVK)
* Finland-Swedish Sign Language "finlandssvenskt teckenspråk" (Swedish) or "suomenruotsalainen viittomakieli" (Finnish)
* Flemish Sign Language "Vlaamse Gebarentaal" (VGT)
* French Sign Language "Langues des Signes Française" (LSF)
* German Sign Language "Deutsche Gebärdensprache" (DGS)
* Greek Sign Language "Ελληνική Νοηματική Γλώσσα" (GSL)
* Hungarian Sign Language "Magyar jelnyelv"
* Icelandic Sign Language "Íslenskt Táknmál"
* Irish Sign Language "Teanga Chomharthaíochta na hÉireann" (ISL/ISG and TCÉ)
* Italian Sign Language "Lingua dei Segni Italiana" (LIS)
* Latvian Sign Language "Latviešu Zīmju Valoda"
* Lithuanian Sign Language "Lietuvių gestų kalba"
* Maltese Sign Language "Lingwi tas-Sinjali Maltin" (LSM)
* Norwegian Sign Language "Tegnspråk" (NSL)
* Polish Sign Language "Polski Język Migowy" (PJM)
* Portuguese Sign Language "Língua Gestual Portuguesa" (LGP)
* Russian Sign Language "Russkiy zhestovyi yazyk" / русский жестовый язык
* Slovakian Sign Language "Slovník Posunkovej Reči"
* Slovene Sign Language "Slovenski znakovni jezik"
* Spanish Sign Language "Lengua de signos española" (LSE)
* Swedish Sign Language "Svenskt teckenspråk" (TSP)
* Swiss-French Sign Language "Langage Gestuelle"
* Swiss-German Sign Language "Deutschschweizer Gebärdensprache" (DSGS)
* Turkish Sign Language "Türk İşaret Dili" (TİD)
* Ukrainian Sign Language "українська жестова мова"
* Valencian Sign Language "Llengua de Signes en la Comunitat Valenciana" (LSCV)
[edit] Middle East
* Al-Sayyid Bedouin Sign Language (ABSL), Southern Israel
* Iraqi Sign Language العراقى مترجمي لغة الاشارة
* Israeli Sign Language שפת סימנים ישראלית
* Jordanian Sign Language Lughat il-Ishaarah il-Urduniah / الاردنية مترجمي لغة الاشارة (LIU)
* Kuwaiti Sign Language لغة الاشارة الكويتية
* Lebanese Sign Language Lughat al-Isharat al-Lubnaniya / لغة الإشارات اللبنانية
* Omani Sign Language "العماني لغة الأشارة"
* Palestinian Sign Language "لغة الاشارات الفلسطينية"
* Persian Sign Language
* Qatari Sign Language "القطري لغة الأشارة"
* Saudi Arabian Sign Language "السعودية مترجمي لغة الاشارة"
* United Arab Emirates Sign Language "الامارات مترجمي لغة الاشارة"
* Yemeni Sign Language "اليمني لغة الأشارة"
[edit] Historical sign languages
* BANZSL - Language family to which BSL, Auslan, and NZSL belong
* Martha's Vineyard Sign Language
* Old French Sign Language - Parent language of many sign languages
* Old Kent Sign Language
[edit] Auxiliary sign systems
* Australian Aboriginal sign languages
* Baby Sign - using signs to assist early language development in young children.
* Baseball Sign - a method used in baseball and softball to communicate strategic plays without the opponent knowing
* Contact Sign - a pidgin or contact language between a spoken language and a sign language, eg. Pidgin Sign English (PSE).
* Curwin Hand Signs - a technique which allows musical notes to be communicated through hand signs.
* International Sign (previously known as Gestuno) - an auxiliary language used by deaf people in international settings.
* Makaton - a system of signed communication used by and with people who have speech, language or learning difficulties.
* Monastic sign language
* Plains Indian Sign Language
* Tic tac - a traditional British system of communicating betting odds at racecourses.
* Military hand signals - a standardised system of communicating commands and information silently.
[edit] Signed modes of spoken languages
For a more extensive list see Manually Coded Language. This page lists only those MCLs with pages on Wikipedia.
* General
o Cued Speech - a hand/mouth system (HMS) to render spoken language phonemes visually intelligible.
o Fingerspelling - alphabetic signs to represent the written form of a spoken language.
* English
o Manually Coded English
o Seeing Essential English (SEE1)
o Signing Exact English (SEE2)
* Esperanto
o Signuno
* Malay
o Bahasa Malaysia Kod Tangan (BMKT)
* Warlpiri
o Warlpiri Sign Language
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sign_languages
Last edited by AussieReaper (2009-11-10 04:34:11)

I used to know a bit of the British one. Now I just know the vowels...
Thanks. Was in a class and was already on BF2s. Only had time to belt out a post since the class restarted after a short break.
I speak british sign language (mostly fingerspelling) and my girlfriend speaks BSL and one handed american sign language
Last edited by I'm Jamesey (2009-11-10 08:59:57)
New Zealand Sign Language is one of three official languages in this country. I know "Yes" and "No" as well as the alphabet and "Turtle". I used to know a lot more thougn, enough to be able to "read" someone a book in sign language, (a Berenstain Bears book.)
[Blinking eyes thing]
Steam: http://steamcommunity.com/id/tzyon
Steam: http://steamcommunity.com/id/tzyon
I think it should also be noted that grammar and sentence structure in sign language is different than in spoken/written language, it's not simply a word-for-word interpretation.
I remember that before I realized this, I used to wonder why deaf people had such shitty writing sometimes
I remember that before I realized this, I used to wonder why deaf people had such shitty writing sometimes
I honestly can't understand, though, why there isn't an English sign language for all the English countries ... very interesting, though. That means non-deaf people from New Zealand can understand people from Australia, England and America, but deaf people don't stand a chance. Very interesting indeed.
Last edited by CapnNismo (2009-11-10 12:40:36)
Well they've managed so far. Or at least seem to.
I have yet to hear one complain....
I have yet to hear one complain....

mum signs BSL, I know quite a bit.
jord wrote:
I used to know a bit of the British one. Now I just know the vowels...

A friend from work has a daughter that's deaf. he showed me a little ASL whilst teaching her. he had to learn it himself, first.
very funnyAussieReaper wrote:
Well they've managed so far. Or at least seem to.
I have yet to hear one complain....
Deaf people can sign really really fast
also
also
.........AussieReaper wrote:
Well they've managed so far. Or at least seem to.
I have yet to hear one complain....
I laughedAussieReaper wrote:
Well they've managed so far. Or at least seem to.
I have yet to hear one complain....
james can sign really fast i am better but slower i know a lot more than him and always correct him which his weird cause i only learned it cause his parent are deaf yes i am the best girlfriend everI'm Jamesey wrote:
I speak british sign language (mostly fingerspelling) and my girlfriend speaks BSL and one handed american sign language