Sign language

Sign Language

Sign language (pronunciation: /sʌɪn ˈlæŋɡwɪdʒ/) is a visual means of communicating using gestures, facial expression, and body language. Sign language is used mainly by people who are Deaf or have hearing impairments.

Etymology

The term "sign language" comes from the fact that the language is expressed through signs and gestures rather than spoken or written words. The term was first used in English in the 17th century.

Related Terms

• Deaf culture: The culture of Deaf people, which includes sign language as a major component.
• American Sign Language: A complete, complex language that employs signs made with the hands and other movements, including facial expressions and postures of the body. It is the first language of many deaf North Americans, and one of several communication options available to deaf people.
• British Sign Language: The sign language used in the United Kingdom, distinct from American Sign Language.
• International Sign: A pidgin sign language which is used in a variety of different contexts, particularly at international meetings such as the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) congress, at events such as the Deaflympics and the Miss & Mister Deaf World, and informally when travelling and socialising.
• Fingerspelling: A method of spelling words using hand movements; used in sign language.

See Also

• List of sign languages
• Bimodal bilingualism
• Chereme
• Manual communication
• Makaton
• Baby sign language
• Tactile signing
• Sign language in infants and toddlers
• Contact sign
• Signed English

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Sign language
• Wikipedia's article - Sign language

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