Sign Language

[bhg481]

We were discussing sign language the other day and someone was surprised when I said there were several versions of it eg, BSL. Can someone please explain why there are different versions of it? I can understand why the word for something is different in different languages but I would expect the "sign" to be universal.

[-SharonA-]

It's like each country has a different language. ASL is American sign language, Auslan is Australian.
I think it should be universal.

[bhg481]

Sharon - I understand that, but why? I would expect the sign for, say, a ball to be the same in any language.

[Tilly2]

There's also Makaton

Matakon signs are based on the gestures used in BSL (British Sign Language – the language of the Deaf community). However, unlike BSL, Makaton signs are used in conjunction with speech at all times and in English grammatical word order. With Makaton, children and adults can communicate using signs and symbols.

We used this at my last school.

[bhg481]

I must say that I'd forgotten that word order varies across languages.

[-SharonA-]

I agree bhg. I tend to mimic bouncing a ball.

[bednobs]

you might as well ask why all of us who speak language don't speak the same language. BSL is in fact very different to English, particularly in it's structure

[bhg481]

I believe that many languages started out as one and then diverged whereas I would argue that sign language is relative new and hasn't had time to diverge. It should be an Esperanto spoken with the hands.

[Maydup]

Because each country has developed its own sign language. Clue’s in the name, British Sign Language. It’s not necessarily related to the spoken language so English speaking countries may well have developed their own sign language.

[barry1010]

Even if the sign for ball was the same the world over most sign languages don’t communicate with individual words that form a sentence, as in speech. There could be a different sign for bouncing a ball, throwing a ball, catching, kicking… A very long spoken sentence may be signed using few signs combined with facial expressions.

What may be a correct sign in BSL could be a rude, insulting gesture in Japan regardless of whether it is recognised as sign language or not.

As far as I know all forms of sign language has signs to represent the alphabet so uncommon words and names can be spelt. There are at least 5 different alphabets so it makes a universal sign language difficult.

Just as the spoken language has developed over many years, so has sign languages so naturally they are different.

[Buenchico]

If you scroll down to 'Relationships with spoken languages', here
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sign_language
you'll find a well-written explanation, which would seem to answer your question for you.

[Peter Pedant]

oh god I thought you mean dfft versions of BSL ( dialects) - - olds such as myself tend to use SAE ( sign assisted English) and this is very frowned upon by purists

ASL has a one=handed alphabet.

Chico's article is a bit long. Vygotsky said that thought preceded language and doesnt get a look in.

take a look at this
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicaraguan_Sign_Language

Kegl did NOT introduce Spanish or Portuguese SL but allowed a distinct one to develop. annd then wrote it up and made a program where she gushed " we were watching the BIRTH of a language". Other linguists gushed less and were more critical

[Peter Pedant]

yeah sign joke about a French priests signing - venez, mes amis
in signs were meant come and have carnal knowledge with me

[Peter Pedant]

oh forgot
there IS internaional sign language
I dont think anyone uses it

signer on channel 231 knows it but was er signing in BSL today
( mehmet ozal I think Gk cypriot)