Library's IM Service
Library hours      Link to Library's old web page

Frequently Asked Questions:

Sign Languages of the World, by Name

114 sign languages derived from the Ethnologue database (www.ethnologue.com/, 11/8/01, "Browse the Web Version" link); 157 more sign languages, systems and dialects, and references, added by Thomas R. Harrington, Gallaudet University Library. Total, 271 identified sign languages, dialects, and other sign systems.

Where possible, bibliographic references are given for one representative major dictionary and one major or pioneering scholarly study of that sign language or system, or in some cases to the only published reference that could be found. No pretense of bibliographic completeness is made, nor is a bibliographic listing here to be considered a recommendation. Citations are provided only as a starting point for research on that sign language or system. Most citations were obtained from materials in the collection of the Gallaudet University Library, but some were drawn from the International bibliography of sign language, www.sign-lang.uni-hamburg.de/bibweb/.

Adamarobe Sign Language: Ghana

• REPORT: David, J.B. et al. (1971). "Adamarobe: a 'deaf' village," Sound, v.5, p.70-72.

Al Sayyid Bedouin Sign Language: Israel

• REPORT: Wade, Nicholas (2005 February 1). "A new language arises, and scientists watch it evolve." The New York Times, v.CLIV no.53,112, p.F3.

Algerian Sign Language: Algeria, Morocco

Amami O Shima Sign Language: Japan

• STUDY: Osugi, Yutaka; Ted Supalla; and Rebecca Webb (1999). "The use of word elicitation to identify distinctive gestural systems on Amami Island." Sign Language & Linguistics, vol. 2 no.1, p.87-112.

American Indian Sign Language = Plains Indians Sign Language: United States

American Sign Language: United States, Canada, American Samoa, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Hong Kong, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Singapore, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zaire, Zimbabwe.

• DICTIONARY: Sternberg, Martin L.A. (1998). American Sign Language, Unabridged Edition. New York: HarperCollins.
• STUDY: Stokoe, William C. (1960). Sign language structure: an outline of the visual communication systems of the American deaf. Buffalo, NY: Dept. of Anthropology and Linguistics, University of Buffalo.

Ameslan = American Sign Language

Anglo-Saxon Monastic Sign Language: Great Britain.

• STUDY: Umiker-Sebeok, Jean, and Thomas A Sebeok, eds. (1987). Monastic sign languages. Berlin, New York: Mouton de Gruyter.

Arabic Sign Language: This does not really exist, in the sense of a sign language common to several Arabic-speaking countries. Rather, the deaf people of each Arabic country have their own separate and indigenously developed sign languages.

Aranda Sign Language = DIALECT of Australian Aborigines Sign Language: Australia

• DICTIONARY: Strehlow, Carl (1978). "The sign language of the Aranda," in Aboriginal sign languages of the Americas and Australia. New York: Plenum Press, v.2, p.349-370.

Argentine Sign Language: Argentina

• DICTIONARY: Massone, Maria Ignacia (1993). Lengua de Señas Argentina = Argentine Sign Language: primer diccionario bilingüe = first bilingual dictionary. Buenos Aires: Editoria Sopena Argentina.
• STUDY: Massone, Maria Ignacia (1994). Lengua de Señas Argentina: análisis y vocabulario bilingüe. Buenos Aires: Edicial.

Armenian Women's Sign Language: (defunct) Armenia

Armenian Sign Language: Armenia

Arunta Sign Language = Aranda Sign Language DIALECT of Australian Aborigines Sign Language: Australia

Augustinian Sign Language (defunct): France, Great Britain

Auslan = Australian Sign Language: Australia

Australasian Sign Language = Australian Sign Language and New Zealand Sign Language together

• DICTIONARY: Jeanes, Raymond C.; Brian E. Reynolds; and Bernadette C. Coleman (1989). Dictionary of Australasian signs for communication with the deaf, 2nd ed. Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: Victorian School for Deaf Children.

Australian Aborigines Sign Language: Australia

• STUDY: Roth, Walter E. (1978). "The expression of ideas by manual signs: a sign-language," in Aboriginal sign languages of the Americas and Australia. New York: Plenum Press, v.2, p.273-301.

Australian Sign Language: Australia

• DICTIONARY: Johnston, Trevor, ed. (1998). Signs of Australia : a new dictionary of Auslan (the sign language of the Australian deaf community), 2nd ed. North Rocks, NSW, Australia: North Rocks Press, Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children.

Austrian Sign Language: Austria

• DICTIONARY: Forschungszentrum für Gebärdensprache und Hörgeschädigtenkommunikation (1997). ÖGS-Lex 1.0, Vokabeltrainer der ÖGS (Österreichischen Gebärdensprache). (CD-ROM) Klagenfurt, Austria: FZGS.
• STUDY: Wilbur, Ronnie B. (2002). "Phrase structure in ASL and ÖGS," in Schulmeister, Rolf, and, Heimo Reinitzer,eds., Progress in sign language research: in honor of Siegmund Prillwitz = Fortschritte in der Gebärdensprachforschung: Festschrift für Siegmund Prillwitz. Hamburg: Signum, p.235-247.

Bahasa Malaysia Kod Tangan = Malaysian Sign Language: Malaysia

Bali Sign Language: Indonesia

• STUDY: Branson, Jan; Don Miller; and I Gede Marsaja (1996). "Everyone here speaks sign language, too: a deaf village in Bali, Indonesia", in Lucas, Ceil, ed., Multicultural aspects of sociolinguistics in deaf communities. Washington, D.C.: Gallaudet University Press.

Bamako Sign Language: Mali

Ban Khor Sign Language: Thailand

Bangalore-Madras Sign Language = DIALECT of Indian Sign Language: India

• DICTIONARY: Vasishta, Madan; James Woodward; and Susan deSantis (1985). An introduction to the Bangalore variety of Indian Sign Language. Washington, D.C.: Gallaudet Research Institute.

Bangkok Sign Language (Original) (defunct): Thailand

Bedouin Sign Language = Al Sayyid Bedouin Sign Language

Belgian Sign Language: Belgium, Kenya

• DUTCH (NORTH BELGIAN) DIALECT (Vlaamse Gebarentaal):
  • DICTIONARY: Woord en gebaar: 1200 dovengebaren [4th ed.] (1991). Gentbrugge, Belgium: Federatie van Vlaamse Dovenverenigingen.
  • STUDY: Bunkens, M.; K. Cuestermans; and V. van Wassenhove (1984). Een exploratief onderzoek naar het voorkomen van dialectzones van Gebaartekens in Vlaanderen. Antwerpen, Belgium: [s.n.].
• FRENCH (SOUTH BELGIAN) DIALECT:
  • DICTIONARY: Commission Francophone du Langage des Sourds (1985). Les signes, 2° ed. Bruxelles: C.F.L.S.
  • STUDY: Rondal, J.A.; F. Henrot; and M. Charlier (1986). Le langue des signes. Liege, Belgium: Pierre Mardaga.

Belizean Sign Language: Belize

Beluchistan Sign Language = DIALECT of Indo-Pakistan Sign Language: Pakistan

Benedictine Sign Language: Worldwide, but especially France, Britain, USA

Bengali Sign Language: Bangladesh

• DICTIONARY: Bengali sign language dictionary (1994). Sutrapur, Dhaka: National Centre for Special Education, Ministry of Social Welfare.

Bern Sign Language = DIALECT of Swiss-German Sign Language: Switzerland

Black American Sign Language = DIALECT of American Sign Language: United States

• STUDY: Woodward, James C., Jr. (1975). "Black Southern signing", Language in society , vol.5, p.211-218.

Black Southern Sign Language = Black American Sign Language: United States

Bolivian Sign Language: Bolivia

Bologna Sign Language = DIALECT of Italian Sign Language: Italy

Bombay Sign Language = DIALECT of Indian Sign Language: India

• DICTIONARY: Vasishta, Madan; James Woodward; and Susan de Santis (1986). An introduction to the Bombay variety of Indian sign language. Washington, D.C.: Gallaudet Research Institute.

Brazilian Cities Sign Language = DIALECT of Brazilian Sign Language: Brazil

• STUDY: Berenz, Norine, and Lucinda Ferreira Brito (1987). "Pronouns in BCSL and ASL," in Edmonson, W.H., and F. Karlsson, eds., SLR '87: Papers from the Fourth International Symposium on Sign Language Research. Hamburg: Signum-Press, p.26-36.

Brazilian Sign Language: Brazil

• DICTIONARY: Capovilla, Fernando César (2001). Dicionário enciclopédico ilustrado trilíngüe da Língua de Sinais Brisileira. São Paulo: Editora da Universidade de São Paulo.
• STUDY: Coutinho, Denise (1998). Libras língua brasileira de sinais e língua portuguesa : semelhanças e diferenças, 2a ed. Paraíba, Brasil: João Pessõa.

British Sign Language: Great Britain, Kenya, South Africa, Swaziland, Uganda

• DICTIONARY: Brien, David, ed. (1992). Dictionary of British sign language. London; Boston: Faber and Faber.
• STUDY: Sutton-Spence, Rachel, and Bencie Woll (1999). The linguistics of British Sign Language: an introduction. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press.

Bulgarian Sign Language: Bulgaria

• DICTIONARY: Yanulov [or Ianulov], Nikola; Marcho Radulov; and Khristo Georgiev (1961). Kratuk mimicheski rechnik. Sofia: Narodna Prosveta.

Bura Sign Language: Nigeria

• REPORT: Blench, Roger (2004?). "An unreported African sign language for the deaf among the Bura in Northeast Nigeria." http://homepage.ntlworld.com/roger_blench/Language%20data/Bura%20Sign%20Language.pdf (seen on June 20, 2006).

Cabra Schools Sign Language = Old Irish Sign Language: Ireland

Calcutta Sign Language = DIALECT of Indian Sign Language: India

• DICTIONARY: Vasishta, Madan; James Woodward; and Susan de Santis (1987). An introduction to the Calcutta variety of Indian sign language. Washington, D.C.: Gallaudet Research Institute.

Canadian Sign Language: Canada

Canon Sign Language = Augustinian Sign Language (defunct)

Catalan Sign Language = Catalonian Sign Language

Catalonian Sign Language: Spain (Llengua de Signes Catalana)

• DICTIONARY: Perello, Jorge, and Juan Frigola (1998). Lenguaje de signos manuals, segunda edicion. Madrid : CIE Inversiones Editoriales Dossat.
• STUDY: Pruss Romagosa, Eva (1997). "Die katalanische Gebärdensprache: historische und sozialpolitische Aspekte." Das Zeichen, 11:40, p.188-195.

Caucasian Sign Language = Armenian Women's Sign Language (defunct)

Ceský znakový jazyk = Czech Sign Language: Czech Republic

Chadian Sign Language: Chad

Chiangmai Sign Language = DIALECT of Thai Sign Language: Thailand

Chiangmai Sign Language (Original) (defunct): Thailand

Chilean Sign Language: Chile (Lengua de Señas Chilena)

• DICTIONARY: Pilleux, Mauricio; Heman Cuevas; and Erica Avalos, eds. (1991a). El lenguaje de señas. Valdivia: Universidad Austral de Chile.
• STUDY: Pilleux, Mauricio; Hernán Cuevas; and Erica Avalos (1991b). El lenguaje de señas: análisis sintáctico-sémantico. Valdiva: Universidad Austral de Chile.

Chinese Sign Language: China, Taiwan, Malaysia

• DICTIONARY: Chung-kuo lung jen hsieh hui pien chi (1990). Chung-kuo shou yü. Beijing: Hua-hsia chu pan she.
• STUDY: Yau, Shun-Chiu (1991). "La langue des signes chinoise," Cahiers de linguistique Asie Orientale, 20:1, p. 138-142.

Chiying Sign Language = DIALECT of Taiwanese Sign Language: China (Taiwan)

Cistercian Sign Language

• STUDY: Barakat, Robert (1975a) "On ambiguity in the Cistercian Sign Language," Sign language studies, no.8, p.275-289.
• DIALECTS:
  • St. Joseph: United States
    • STUDY: Barakat, Robert A. (1975b). The Cistercian sign language: a study in non-verbal communication. Kalamazoo, Mich.: Cistercian Publications.
  • Cluny (Clunaic): France
    • STUDY: Schmitz, G. (1923) "Die Gebärdensprache der Klunianser und Hirsauer," Blätter für Taubstummenbildung, v.36 p.347-364.

Colombian Sign Language: Colombia

• DICTIONARY: Royet, Henry Mejía (1993). Lenguaje manual Colombiáno: curso basico. Bogotá: Federacion Nacional de Sordos de Colombia.
• STUDY: Oviedo, Alejandro (2001). Apuntes para una gramática de la Lengua de Señas Colombiana. Santafé de Bogotá, Colombia: INSOR.

Conceptually Accurate Sign English (CASE) = Pidgin Sign English: United States

Congolese Sign Language: Zaïre

• DICTIONARY: Cornett, David J. (1990). Communiquons avec les sourds. Bandundu, Zaire: [s.n.]

Córdoba Sign Language: DIALECT of Argentine Sign Language: Argentina

• DICTIONARY: Crespo, Nina (1993). Diccionario del languaje de señas de Córdoba-Argentina. Córdoba, Argentina: Panorama Match.

Costa Rican Sign Language: Costa Rica

• DICTIONARY: Departamento de Educación Especial (1979). Hacia una nueva forma de communicación con el sordo. San Jose, Costa Rica: Departamento de Publicaciones, Ministerio de Educación Pública.
• STUDY: Woodward, James (1991). "Sign language varieties in Costa Rica," Sign language studies, 20:73, p.329-346.

Croatian Sign Language: Croatia

• STUDY: Kuhn, Ninoslava Šarac; Tamara Alibašić Ciciliani; and Ronnie B. Wilbur (2006). "Phonological parameters in Croatian Sign Language." Sign Language & Linguistics, vol. 9 no.1/2.

Cuban Sign Language: Cuba

• DICTIONARY: Meneses Volumen, Alina (1993). Manual de lengua de señas cubanas. Habana, Cuba: ANSOC.

Cued Speech: United States, Australia, some other countries

• MAJOR REFERENCE: Cornett, R. Orin, and Mary Elsie Daisey (1992). The cued speech resource book for parents of deaf children. Raleigh, N.C.: National Cued Speech Association.

Cyprus Sign Language: Cyprus

Czech Sign Language: Czech Republic

• DICTIONARY: Gabrielová, D.; J. Paur; and J. Zeman (1988). Slovník znakové reci. Praha: Horizont.

Danish Sign Language: Denmark, Tanzania

• DICTIONARY: Dansk-tegn ordbog, rev. ed. (1986). København [Denmark]: Danske Døves Landsforbund, 1986.
• STUDY: Engberg-Peterson, Elisabeth; Britta Hansen; and Ruth Kjær Sørensen (1981). Døves tegnsprog. [s.l.]: Arkona.

Deaf Sign Language: Ireland (do not confuse with Irish Sign Language: Ireland)

Delhi Sign Language: DIALECT of Indo-Pakistan Sign Language: India

• DICTIONARY: Vasishta, Madan; James Woodward; and Susan de Santis (1980). An introduction to Indian Sign Language (focus on Delhi). College Park, Md.: Sign Language Research [also pub. New Delhi: All India Federation of the Deaf, 1980].

Deutsche Gebärdensprache = German Sign Language: Germany

Dieri Sign Language = DIALECT of Australian Aborigines Sign Language: Australia

Djingili Sign Language = DIALECT of Australian Aborigines Sign Language: Australia

Dominican Sign Language: Dominican Republic

• STUDY: Gerner de Garcia, Barbara (1990). "The emerging deaf community in the Dominican Republic: an ethnographic study," in Lucas, Ceil, ed., Sign language research, theoretical issues: proceedings of the International Conference, Theoretical Issues in Sign Language Research, II, May 18-21, 1988 at Gallaudet University. Washington: Gallaudet University Press, p.259-272.

Dutch Sign Language: Netherlands.

• DICTIONARY: Groninger gebarenwoordenboek (1985). Haren, Netherlands: Koninklijk Instituut voor Doven "H.D. Guyot".
• STUDY: Koenen, Liesbeth; Tony Bloem; and Ruud Janssen (1993). Gebarentaal: de taal van doven in Nederland. Amsterdam: Nijgh & Van Ditmar.

Ecuadorian Sign Language: Ecuador

• DICTIONARY: Libro de señas: guia básica (1987). Quito, Ecuador: Sociedad de Sordo Adultos "Fray Luis Ponce de León," Proyecto "Mano a Mano".
• STUDY: Velasquez, Carmen (1994). "The birth of Ecuadorian Sign Language," in Erting, Carol J. et al., eds., The deaf way: perspectives from the International Conference on Deaf Culture. Washington, D.C.: Gallaudet University Press, p.123-126.

Egyptian Sign Language: Egypt

• DICTIONARY: Suwayd, Abd al-Hamid (1984). Al-Qamus al-ishari. [Cairo, Egypt?]: [s.n.]

El Paso Gang Sign Language: United States

• REPORT: Lombino, Mary-Kay (2000). "James Drake", http://artscenecal.com/ArtistsFiles/ DrakeJa/DrakeJaFile/JaDrake0100Essay.html, seen on July 23, 2002.

El Salvadoran Sign Language: El Salvador

Enga Sign Language: Papua New Guinea

• STUDY: Kendon, Adam (1980a, b, c). "A description of a deaf-mute sign language from the Enga Province of Papua New Guinea: with some comparative discussion". Semiotica, v.31, nos.1-2, p.1-34; v.32, no.1-2, p.81-117; v.32, no.3-4, p.245-313.

Eskimo Sign Language = Inuit Sign Language: Canada

Estonian Sign Language: Estonia

• DICTIONARY: Toom, Koostaja R. (1988). Kõelevad käed: eesti viipekeele sõnastik. Tallinn: [K.R. Toom?].

Ethiopian Sign Language: Ethiopia

• STUDY: Derso, Tekle Haimanot (1981). "The development of gestural communication in Ethiopia," in Bulgarian Deaf Union, ed., The deaf people in modern society: proceedings of the 8th World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf, Varna, June 20-27, 1979. Varna, Bulgaria, p.350-353.

Fiji Sign Language: Fiji

• DICTIONARY: Cabbage, Don, and John Peterson (2002?). Fiji Sign Language, volume I. El Paso, Texas: International Communication Publishers.

Filipino Sign Language = Philippines Sign Language: Philippines

Finnish Sign Language: Finland, Tanzania

• DICTIONARY: Viittomakielen kuvasanakirja. [2nd amended ed.] (1977). [Helsinki]: Kuurojen Liitto.
• STUDY: Rissanen, Terhi (1986). "The basic structure of Finnish Sign Language," in Tervoort, Bernard T., ed., Signs of life: proceedings of the Second European Congress on Sign Language Research, Amsterdam July 14-18, 1985. Amsterdam: University of Amsterdam, p.42-46.

Finnish-Swedish Sign Language: Finland

Flemish Sign Language = Dutch (North Belgian) DIALECT of Belgian Sign Language: Belgium

Florence Sign Language = DIALECT of Italian Sign Language: Italy

Franco-American Sign Language: Cameroon and elsewhere in West and Central Africa

French Canadian Sign Language: Canada, Mali

• DICTIONARY: Bourcier, Paul, and Julie Élaine Roy (1985). La langue des signes, LSQ. Montréal: Publication Bourcier & Roy.
• STUDY: Études sur la langue des signes québécoise (1993). Montréal: Presses de l'Université de Montréal.

French Sign Language: France, Mali, Rwanda, Switzerland, Togo, Vietnam, Zaire

• DICTIONARY: Girod, Michel, ed. (1997). La langue des signes. Vincennes, France: International Visual Theatre, 1997.
• STUDY: Jouison, Paul (1995). Ecrits sur la langue des signes française. Paris: Harmattan.

Geneva Sign Language = DIALECT of Swiss-French Sign Language: Switzerland

Genova Sign Language = DIALECT of Italian Sign Language: Italy

German Sign Language: Germany, Tanzania

• DICTIONARY: Maisch, Günther, and Fritz-H. Wisch (1987-89). Gebärden-Lexikon. Hamburg: Verlag hörgeschädigter Kinder.
• STUDY: Rammel, Georg (1974). Die Gebärdensprache: Versuch einer Wesenanalyse. Berlin-Charlottenburg: Marhold.

Gestuno = International Sign Language: International

Ghanian Sign Language: Ghana

Global Gesture = Worldsign: International

Greek Sign Language: Greece

• DICTIONARY: Triantaphullides, Georgios (1987). Systema hellenikon neumaton. Thessalonika: Hoi Philoi Ton Kophalalon Thessalonikes.

Guatemalan Sign Language: Guatemala

• DICTIONARY: Lenguaje de señas guatemalteco (Lensegua), primera edición (2000). Guatemala: Comité pro Ciegos y Sordos de Guatemala/Asociación de Sordos de Guatemala.

Guinean Sign Language: Guinea

Guyana Sign Language: Guyana

• DICTIONARY: Cabbage, Don, and John Peterson (2002?). Guyana Sign Language, volume I. El Paso, Texas: International Communication Publishers.

Hanoi Sign Language: Vietnam

Harem Sign Language = Seraglio Sign Language: Turkey / Ottoman Empire

Hausa Sign Language: Nigeria

• STUDY: Schmaling, Constanze (2000). Maganar hannu, language of the hands: a descriptive analysis of Hausa sign language. Hamburg: Signum-Verlag.

Hawaii Pidgin Sign Language: United States

Hill Country Sign Language: Thailand

Hindu Dance Gesture Language: India

• DICTIONARY: Hughes, R.M. (1941). The gesture language of the Hindu dance. New York: Blom (1979 reprint, New York: Arno Press).

Ho Chi Minh City Sign Language: Vietnam

Holmestrand School Sign Language = DIALECT of Norwegian Sign Language: Norway

Home Signs: International

Honduran Sign Language: Honduras

Hong Kong Sign Language: China

• DICTIONARY: Goodstadt, Rose Yin-Chee (1972). Speaking with signs; a sign language manual for Hongkong's deaf. Hong Kong: Government Printer.

Hrvatskog Znakovnog Jezika = Croatian Sign Language: Croatia

Hungarian Sign Language: Hungary

• DICTIONARY: Berbeco, Steven, ed. (1999). A magyar jelnyelv szótára = Dictionary of Hungarian Sign Language. Budapest: Siketek és Nagyothallók Országos Szövetsége.
• STUDY: Iván, Vasák (1995). A jelnyelv elmélete és módszertana. [S.l., s.n.]

Icelandic Sign Language: Iceland

• DICTIONARY: Taknmalsordabok (1988). Rejkjavik: Felag Heyrnlausra.

Idioma de Signos Nicaragüense = Nicaraguan Sign Language: Nicaragua

Indian Sign Language: India

• STUDY: Vasishta, Madan; James Woodward, and Kirk L. Wilson (1978). "Sign languages in India: regional variations within the deaf populations," Indian journal of applied linguistics, v.4 no.2, p.66-74.

Indo-Pakistan Sign Language: India, Pakistan

• STUDY: Zeshan, Ulrike (2000). Sign language in Indo-Pakistan: a description of a signed language. Philadelphia: John Benjamins Pub.

Indonesian Sign Language: Indonesia

• DICTIONARY: Pertama, Edisi (1994). Kamus system isyarat bahasa Indonesia. Jakarta: Departemen Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan.

International Sign Language: International

• DICTIONARY: World Federation of the Deaf, Unification of Signs Commission (1975). Gestuno: international sign language of the deaf = langage gestuel international des sourds: the revised and enlarged book of signs agreed and adopted by the Unification of Signs Commission of the World Federation of the Deaf. Carlisle, England: British Deaf Association [for] the World Federation of the Deaf.
• STUDY: Supalla, Ted (1991). "Grammatical structure of international signs," in Equality and self-reliance = Egalité et confiance en soi: proceedings of the XI World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf. Tokyo: Japanese Federation of the Deaf, p.762-763.

Inuit Sign Language: Canada

• REPORT: MacDougall, Jamie (2000). Access to justice for deaf persons in Nunavut: Focus on signed languages. [Ottawa?]: Research and Statistics Division, Department of Justice Canada.

Iranian Sign Language = Persian Sign Language: Iran

Irish Sign Language: Ireland, South Africa

• DICTIONARY: ISL dictionary [CD-ROM] (1997). Middlesex, England: Microbooks.
• STUDY: Burns, Sarah E. (1998). "Irish Sign Language: Ireland's second minority language," in Lucas, Ceil, ed., Pinky extension and eye gaze: language use in deaf communities. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press, p.233-273.

Irislan = Irish Sign Language: Ireland

Isaret = Turkish Sign Language; also Seraglio Sign Language: Turkey (Ottoman Empire)

Isharon Ki Zaban or Isharon Ki Zubann = Pakistan Sign Language

Israeli Sign Language: Israel

• DICTIONARY: Savir, Hava, ed. (1992). Sha'ar li-´sefat simanim Yi´sra'elit = Gateway to Israeli Sign Language. Tel Aviv: The Association of the Deaf in Israel.
• STUDY: Schlesinger, Izchak M., and Lila Namir (1976). "Recent research on Israeli Sign Language," in Report on the 4th International Conference on Deafness, Tel Aviv, March, 18-23, 1973. Silver Spring, Md.: National Association of the Deaf, p. 114.

Italian Sign Language: Italy

• DICTIONARY: Dizionario bilingue elementare della lingua italiana dei segni (1992). Roma: Kappa.
• STUDY: Pigliacampo, Renato (1998). Lingua e linguaggio nel sordo : analisi e problemi di una lingua visivo-manuale. Roma: Armando Editore.

Ixarette = Seraglio Sign Language: Turkey (Ottoman Empire)

Ixtapalapa Sign Language = DIALECT of Mexican Sign Language: Mexico

Jamaican Country Sign Language: Jamaica

• STUDY: Dolman, David (1986). "Sign languages in Jamaica," Sign language studies, no.52, p.235-242.

Japanese Sign Language: Japan

• DICTIONARY: Nihon Shuwa Kenkyusho hen (1997). Nihongo Shuwa jiten. Tokyo: Zen Nihon Roa Renmei.
• STUDY: Takashi, Tanokami, and F.C. Pang (1976). Shuwa o megutte = On the nature of sign language. Hiroshima, Japan: Bunka Hyoron Shuppan.

Jaralde Sign Language = DIALECT of Australian Aborigines Sign Language: Australia

• STUDY: Berndt, R.M. (1940). "Notes on the sign-language of the Jaralde tribe of the Lower River Murray, South Australia," in Aboriginal sign languages of the Americas and Australia. New York: Plenum Press, v.2, p.397-402.

Jordanian Sign Language: Jordan

• DICTIONARY: Hamzeh, Manal (1993). Vocabularies of sign language. [Amman, Jordan: Hamzeh.]
• STUDY: Kabatilo, Ziad Salah (1982). A pilot description of indigenous signs used by deaf persons in Jordan. Ph.D. dissertation, Michigan State University.

Kaititj/Akitiri Sign Language = DIALECT of Australian Aborigines Sign Language: Australia

Karachi Sign Language = DIALECT of Indo-Pakistan Sign Language: Pakistan

• DICTIONARY: ABSA Research Group (1987). A dictionary of Pakistan sign language: focus on Karachi. Karachi, Pakistan: ABSA School for the Deaf, 1987.

Kata Kolok = Bali Sign Language: Indonesia

Kenyan Sign Language: Kenya

• DICTIONARY: Akach, Philemon A.O. (1991). Kenyan Sign Language dictionary. Nairobi: Kenya National Association for the Deaf.
• STUDY: Akach, P.A.O. (1992). "Sentence formation in Kenyan Sign Language", in The East African Sign Language Seminar, Karen, Nairobi, Kenya, 24th-28th August 1992. [Copenhagen?]: Danish Deaf Association, p.45-51.

Keresan Pueblo Indian Sign Language: United States

• REPORT: Kelley, Walter P., and McGregor, Tony L. (2001). "Keresan Pueblo Indian Sign Language". Paper presented at the Deaf Studies VII Conference, Orlando, Florida. http://www.flagler.edu/about_f/gal/kelleymcgregor.html.

Korean Sign Language: South Korea

• DICTIONARY: P`yojun Suhwa Sajon P`yonch`an Wiwonhoe p`yonjo (1982). P`yojun suhwa sajon = Korean standard sign language dictionary. Seoul: Kumok Haksul Munhwa Chaedan.
• STUDY: Hong, Sung-Eun (2001). Empirische Erhebung zu Klassifikatoren in koreanischer Gebärdensprache. Diploma Thesis. University of Hamburg.

Kuala Lumpur Sign Language: Malaysia (Peninsular)

Kuwaiti Sign Language: Kuwait

Langage Gestuelle = Swiss-French Sign Language: Switzerland

Langue des Signes de Suisse Romande = Swiss-French Sign Language

Langue des Signes Française = French Sign Language: France

Langue des Signes Québécois = French Canadian Sign Language: Canada

Laos Sign Language: Laos

Latvian Sign Language: Latvia

Lautbegleitende Gebärden = Sound-Accompanied Signs: Germany

Lautsprachbegleitendes Gebärden = Speech-Accompanied Signs: Switzerland

Lengua de Señas Chilena = Chilean Sign Language: Chile

Lengua de Señas Cubanas = Cuban Sign Language: Cuba

Lengua de Señas Hondureñas = Honduran Sign Language: Honduras

Lengua de Señas Panameñas = Panamanian Sign Language: Panama

Lengua de Señas Venezolana = Venezuelan Sign Language: Venezuela

Lenguaje de Señas Mexicanas = Mexican Sign Language: Mexico

Lenguaje de Señas Uruguayo = Uruguayan Sign Language: Uruguay

Lenguaje de Signos Nicaragüense: Nicaragua

Lenguaje Gestual Español = Spanish Sign Language: Spain

Lenguaje Manual Colombiáno = Colombian Sign Language: Colombia

Lenguaje Mímico Español = Spanish Sign Language: Spain

Lenguaje Mímico Maya = Maya Sign Language: Mexico

Libyan Sign Language: Libya

• DICTIONARY: Suwed, Abdalla (1984). Lughit alishara alcarabiyya, lughit alsum. Tripoli, Libya: Almunsha Alcama Sinnashir.

Lietuviu gestu kalba = Lithuanian Sign Language: Lithuania

Língua de Sinais Brasileira = Brazilian Sign Language: Brazil

Lingua dei Segni Italiana = Italian Sign Language: Italy

Lingua Gestual Portuguesa = Portuguese Sign Language: Portugal

Lingua Italiana dei Segni = Italian Sign Language: Italy

Linguagem das Mãos = Brazilian Sign Language: Brazil

Linguistics of Visual English (LOVE): United States

• STUDY: Wampler, Dennis W. (1973). "An introduction to Linguistics of Visual English", in Gustason, Gerilee, and Woodward James C., eds., Recent developments in manual English. Washington, D.C.: Gallaudet College, p.27-37.

Lingwi tas-Sinjali Maltin = Maltese Sign Language: Malta

Lisbon Sign Language = DIALECT of Portuguese Sign Language: Portugal

Lithuanian Sign Language: Lithuania

• STUDY: Kupcinskas, Dainora (1999). "Issues in standardizing Lithuanian Sign Language," Lituanus, v.45 no.1 p.17+.

Llengua de Signes Catalana = Catalonian Sign Language: Spain

Llengua de Signes en la Comunitat Valenciana = Valencian Sign Language: Spain

Lughat il-Ishaarah il-Urduniah = Jordanian Sign Language: Jordan

Lyon Code of English Sounds: United States (in use at the Western New York Institution for the Deaf [now the Rochester Institution for the Deaf] around 1893; consisted of 45 handshapes to represent all the sounds of spoken English).

• GUIDE: Lyon, Edmund (1891). "The Lyon phonetic manual," in Fay, Edward Allen (1893), Histories of American schools for the deaf, 1817-1893. Washington, D.C.: The Volta Bureau, 1893, vol. 2, "Western New York Institution for Deaf-Mutes, Rochester, N. Y.: Historical sketch, 1876-1893," p.48-55.

Lyons Sign Language: France

Macao Sign Language: China (Macao)

• DICTIONARY: Ao-men shou yü pien hui (1992). Macao, China: The Chung Hsin.

Maganar Bebaye = Hausa Sign Language: Nigeria

Maganar Hannu = Hausa Sign Language: Nigeria

Magyar jelnyelv = Hungarian Sign Language: Hungary

Makaton Vocabulary: Great Britain

• DICTIONARY: Walker, Margaret (1977). Line drawing illustrations for the revised Makaton vocabulary, 2nd ed. London: Royal Association of the Deaf and Dumb.

Malagasy Sign Language: Madagascar

Malaysian Sign Language: Malaysia (Peninsular)

• DICTIONARY: Speaking with signs = Sike kuni shuwa ziten, rozin shuwa (1984). 3d ed., vocabulary version. Osaka, Japan: Osaka YMCA. [Quadrilingual sign language dictionary includes some Malaysian signs.]
• STUDY: Guan, Tan Chin (1987). "Malaysian Sign Language," in Van Cleve, John V., ed., Gallaudet encyclopedia of deaf people and deafness. New York: McGraw-Hill, v.3, p.93-94.

Mali Sign Language: Mali

• DICTIONARY: Pinsonneault, Dominique (1999). Lexique des signes utilisés par les sourds du Mali. [S.l., s.n.], ISBN 2-911741-30-7.

Maltese Sign Language: Malta

• DICTIONARY: Basic signs for Malta (1993). Gozo, Malta: Maltese Association for the Deaf.
• STUDY: Borg, A. (1988). "Formulation of Maltese Sign Language," in Ojala, Raili, ed., Proceedings : one world, one responsibility: X World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf, Espoo, Finland, 20.-28.7.1987. Helsinki: The Finnish Association of the Deaf.

Manjiljarra Sign Language: DIALECT of Australian Aborigines Sign Language: Australia

• STUDY: Quek, Joan (Summer 1991). "Occasions for sign use in an Australian Aborigine community". Sign Language Studies, 71, p.143-160.

Manual Mimico Paraguayo = Paraguayan Sign Language: Paraguay

Manually Coded English: Great Britain

Manually Coded Hebrew: Israel

Manually Coded Japanese: Japan

Marseilles Sign Language = DIALECT of French Sign Language: France

Maritime Sign Language: Canada

• REPORT: Warner, Noni, et al. (1997). "The survival of Maritime Sign Language." Papers from the annual meetings of the Atlantic Provinces Linguistics Association, volume 21, 1997, p.170-176.

Martha's Vineyard Sign Language (defunct): United States

• STUDY: Groce, Nora Ellen (1985). Everyone here spoke sign language: hereditary deafness on Martha's Vineyard. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.

Masvingo Sign Language = DIALECT of Zimbabwe Sign Language: Zimbabwe

Mayan Sign Language: Mexico

• STUDY: Shuman, Malcolm J. (1980). "The sound of silence in Nohya: a preliminary account of sign language use by the deaf in a Maya community in Yucatan, Mexico," Language sciences, v.2 no.1, p.144-173.

Mbour Sign Language: Senegal

Mexican Sign Language: Mexico

• DICTIONARY: Serafín García, Esther (1990). Comunicación manual. México, D.F.: SEP.
• STUDY: Eatough, Andy (1992). Mexican sign language grammar. Student paper, Washington, D.C.: Gallaudet University.

Middle Type Signs = Pidgin Sign Japanese: Japan

Migany Jezyk Polski = Polish Finger Language: Poland

Milan Sign Language = DIALECT of Italian Sign Language: Italy

Mimico Español = Spanish Sign Language: Spain

Monastery of Zion Sign Language (defunct): United Kingdom

• DICTIONARY: Betson, Thomas (ca. 1450). Anngiers history of the Zion Monastery at Lisbon and Brentford, p.405-409. Republished in British deaf times (1934), vol. XXXI, March/April and May/June; and in Lee, Raymond (2004), A beginner's guide to deaf history, Feltham, Middlesex: British Deaf History Society Publications, p.211-214.

Monastic Sign Languages, see:

• Anglo-Saxon Monastic Sign Language
• Augustinian Sign Language
• Benedictine Sign Language
• Cistercian Sign Language
• Monastery of Zion Sign Language
• Trappist Sign Language

Mongolian Sign Language: Mongolia

• DICTIONARY: Mongolyn dokhiony khelnii tol' = Mongolian sign language dictionary (1995). [S.l. : s.n.].

Montevideo Sign Language = DIALECT of Uruguayan Sign Language: Uruguay

Moroccan Sign Language: Morocco

• DICTIONARY: Wismann, Lynn, and Margaret Walsh (1987). Signs of Morocco. Rabat, Morocco: Peace Corps Morocco.

Morphemic Sign System: United States

Motorcycle Sign Language: United States

• DICTIONARY: Kamp, Blane (1990). Motorcycle sign language. Huntington, W. Va.: University Editions.

Mouth-Hand System: Denmark

Mozambican Sign Language: Mozambique

Mudbura Sign Language = DIALECT of Australian Aborigine Sign Language: Australia

Mumbai Sign Language = Bombay Sign Language: India

Murngin Sign Language: DIALECT of Australian Aborigine Sign Language: Australia

• DICTIONARY: Warner, W. Lloyd (1978). "Murngin Sign Language," in Aboriginal sign languages of the Americas and Australia. New York: Plenum Press, v.2, p.389-392.

Naga Sign Language: India

• REPORT: Hutton, John Henry (1921). The Angami Nagas, with some notes on neighbouring tribes. London: MacMillan, p.291-292.

Namibian Sign Language: Namibia

• DICTIONARY: Ashipala, Sackeus P., et al. (1989). Namibian sign language dictionary. [S.n., s.l.]

Naples Gesture Language: Italy

• REPORT AND DICTIONARY: Jorio, Andrea de (1832, translated edition 2000). Gesture in Naples and gesture in classical antiquity. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. English translation of original 1832 Italian edition, La mimica degli antichi investigata nel gestire napoletano.

Naples/Palermo Sign Language = DIALECT of Italian Sign Language: Italy

Native Americans Sign Language = Plains Indians Sign Language: United States

Natürliche Gebärde = Swiss-German Sign Language: Switzerland

Nepalese Sign Language: Nepal

• DICTIONARY: Nepali sign language dictionary (1995). Kathmandu: Nepal National Federation of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
• STUDY: Woodward, James (1993). "The relationship of sign language varieties in India, Pakistan and Nepal," Sign language studies, no.78, p.15-22.

Neuchatel Sign Language = DIALECT of Swiss-French Sign Language: Switzerland

New Zealand Sign Language: New Zealand

• DICTIONARY: A dictionary of New Zealand sign (1998). Auckland: Auckland University Press: Bridget Williams Books.
• STUDY: Collins-Ahlgren, Marianne (1989). Aspects of New Zealand sign. Ph.D. dissertation. Wellington: Victoria University of Wellington.

Ngada Sign Language: DIALECT of Australian Aborigine Sign Language: Australia

• STUDY: Mountford, C.P. (1978). "Gesture language of the Ngada tribe of the Warburton Ranges, Western Australia", in Aboriginal sign languages of the Americas and Australia. New York: Plenum Press, v.2, p.393-396.

Nicaraguan Sign Language: Nicaragua

• DICTIONARY: López Gómez, Juan Javier (1997). Diccionario del idioma de señas de Nicaragua. Managua: Asociación Nacional de Sordos de Nicaragua.
• STUDY: Senghas, Richard Joseph (1997). An "unspeakable, unwriteable" language: deaf identity, language & personhood among the first cohorts of Nicaraguan signers. Ph.D. dissertation. Rochester, N.Y.: University of Rochester.

Nigerian Sign Language: Nigeria

Nihon Syuwa = Japanese Sign Language: Japan

Nohya Sign Language = Mayan Sign Language: Mexico

Norsk Tegnspråk = Norwegian Sign Language: Norway

North American Indians Sign Language = Plains Indians Sign Language: United States

North Belgian Sign Language = DIALECT of Belgian Sign Language: Belgium

North West Frontier Province Sign Language = DIALECT of Indo-Pakistan Sign Language: India

Norwegian Sign Language: Norway, Madagascar

• DICTIONARY: Norsk tegn ordbok: 4,592 ord/tegnbilder (1988). Bergen: Døves Forlag.
• STUDY: Martinsen, Harald; Halvor Nordeng; and Stephen von Tetscher (1990). Tegnspråk: Sosial betydning utvikling og pedagogisk bruk. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget.

Nova Scotian Sign Language: Canada

Old French Sign Language (defunct): France

Old Irish Sign Language: Ireland

• STUDY: LeMaste, Barbara Celeste (1990). The maintenance and loss of female and male signs in the Dublin deaf community. Ph.D. dissertation, University of California at Los Angeles.

Old Kentish Sign Language (defunct): Great Britain

Oporto Sign Language = DIALECT of Portuguese Sign Language: Portugal

Original Bangkok Sign Language (defunct): Thailand

Original Chiangmai Sign Language (defunct): Thailand

Oslo School Sign Language = DIALECT of Norwegian Sign Language: Norway

Padua Sign Language = DIALECT of Italian Sign Language: Italy

Paget-Gorman Sign System: Great Britain

• DICTIONARY: Paget, Richard Arthur Surtees (1971). The Paget Gorman Sign System. [S.l.: s.n.].
• STUDY: Gorman, Pierre, and Grace Paget (1964). A systematic sign language. London: [s.n.].

Pakistan Sign Language: Pakistan

• DICTIONARY: ABSA Research Group (1987). A dictionary of Pakistan sign language: focus on Karachi. Karachi, Pakistan: ABSA school for the Deaf, 1987.
• STUDY: Zeshan, Ulrike (1996) "Aspects of Pakistan Sign Language." Sign language studies, no.92, p.253-296.

Paleneo: International

• STUDY: Charteris, Leslie (1972). Paleneo: a universal sign language. London: Hodder & Stoughton.

Palestinian Sign Language: Palestine

• STUDY: Strauss-Sameneh, Nicole (2001). "Namensgebärden in der Palästinensischen Gebärdensprache." Das Zeichen v.15 no.56 p.288-297, v.15 no.57 p.442-447, v.15 no.58 p.594-601.

Panamanian Sign Language: Panama

• DICTIONARY: Lengua de señas panameñas (1990). Panama: Asociación Nacional de Sordos de Panamá.

Paraguayan Sign Language: Paraguay

• DICTIONARY: Lichtenberger, Wilfried (1989). Manual Mimico Paraguayo, edition revisado. Asunción, Paraguay: Instituciones de Educación Especial del país por el Ministerio de Educación y Culto.

Penang Sign Language: Malaysia (Peninsular)

Persian Sign Language: Iran

• DICTIONARY: Persian Sign Language collection for the deaf (1989). Tehran?: Islamic Republic of Iran Welfare Organization, Education and Research Office, Rehabilitation Research Group.
• STUDY: Sparhawk, Carol M. (1978) "Contrastive-identificational features of Persian gesture." Semiotica v.24 no.1-2, p.49-86.

Peruvian Sign Language: Peru

Philippine Sign Language: Philippines

• DICTIONARY: MacFadden, Jane (1977). Sign as you speak. Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines: Southeast Asian Institute for the Deaf.
• STUDY: Martinez, Liza B. (1993). "Eye-gaze as an element in Filipino Sign Language discourse," in Winston, Elisabeth A., ed., Communication forum, volume 2. Washington, D.C.: Gallaudet University, School of Communication, p.99-112.

Phonemic Manual System: Germany

Pidgin Sign English: United States

• STUDY: Woodward, James C. (1973). Some characteristics of Pidgin Sign English. [S.l.: s.n.]

Pidgin Sign French: Canada

Pidgin Sign Japanese: Japan

Plains Indian Sign Language: United States.

• DICTIONARY: Cody, Iron Eyes (1970). Indian talk; hand signals of the American Indians. Healdsburg, Calif., Naturegraph Publishers.
• STUDY: Clark, William Philo (1885). The Indian sign language. Philadelphia: L.R. Hamersly (1982 reprint, Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press).

Polish Finger Language: Poland (Migany Jezyk Polski)

Polish Sign Language: Poland (Polski Jezyk Migowy)

• DICTIONARY: Hendzel, Jozef (1986). Slowenik polskiego jezyka miganego. Olsztyn: [s.n.]

Polski Jezyk Migowy = Polish Sign Language: Poland

Portuguese Sign Language: Portugal (Língua Gestual Portuguesa)

• DICTIONARY: Martins, Maria Raquel Delgado et al. (1997). Dicionário da língua gestual Portuguesa [CD-ROM]. Lisboa: Instituto de Inovacão Educational, Edicão do Laboratorio de Fonética da Faculdalde de Letras da Letras de Universidale de Lisboa.
• STUDY: Prata, Maria Isabel (1980). Mãos que falam. Lisboa: Edição da Divisão do Ensino Especial, Direcção-Geral do Ensino Básico.

Providence Island Sign Language = Providencia Sign Language: Colombia

Providencia Sign Language: Colombia

• STUDY: Washabaugh, William (1986). "The acquisition of communicative skills by the deaf of Providence Island," Semiotica, v. 62, no. 1/2, p. 179-190.

Puerto Rican Sign Language: Puerto Rico, United States

• STUDY: Frishberg, Nancy (1987). "Puerto Rican Sign Language," in van Cleve, John V., ed., Gallaudet encyclopedia of deaf people and deafness. New York: McGraw-Hill, v.3, p.104-105.

Punjab/Sindh Sign Language = DIALECT of Indo-Pakistan Sign Language: India

Québéc Sign Language = French Canadian Sign Language: Canada

Rennellese Sign Language: Solomon Islands

• DICTIONARY AND STUDY: Kuschel, Rolf (1974). A lexicon of signs from a Polynesian outliner island: a description of 217 signs as developed and used by Kagobai, the only deaf-mute of Rennell Island. København: Universitet, Psykologisk Laboratorium.

Rochester Method: United States

• STUDY: Scouten, Edward L. (1942). A revaluation of the Rochester Method. Rochester, N.Y.: Alumni Association, Rochester School for the Deaf.

Romanian Sign Language: Romania

Rome Sign Language = DIALECT of Italian Sign Language: Italy

• STUDY: Boyes Braem, P., et al. (1990). "A comparison of techniques for expressing semantic roles and locative relations in two different sign languages." SLR '87: Papers from the Fourth International Symposium on Sign Language Research. Hamburg: Signum-Press, p.114-120.

Russian Sign Language: Russia, Bulgaria

• DICTIONARY: Geil´man, Iosif Florianovich (1975-79). Spetsificheskie sredstva obshcheniia glukhikh: daktilologiia i mimika. Leningrad: Leningradskii vosstanovitel´nyi tsentr vog.
• STUDY: Grenoble, Lenore (1992). "An overview of Russian Sign Language." Sign language studies, no. 77, p.321-338.

Saigon Sign Language = Ho Chi Minh City Sign Language: Vietnam

Salto Sign Language = DIALECT of Uruguayan Sign Language: Uruguay

Salvadoran Sign Language = El Salvadoran Sign Language: El Salvador

Samoa Sign Language: Samoa Islands

• DICTIONARY: Cabbage, Don, and John Peterson (2002?). Samoan Sign Language, volume I. El Paso, Texas: International Communication Publishers.

São Paulo Sign Language = DIALECT of Brazilian Sign Language: Brazil

Saudi Arabian Sign Language: Saudi Arabia

Sawmill Sign Language: Canada, United States

• DICTIONARY: Meissner, Martin, and Stuart B. Philpott (1975a). "A dictionary of sawmill workers' signs." Sign language studies, no.9, p.309-347.
• STUDY: Meissner, Martin, and Stuart B. Philpott (1975b). "The sign language of sawmill workers in British Columbia." Sign language studies, no.9, p.291-308.

Scandinavian Pidgin Sign Language: Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden

School Sign Language = Polish Finger Language: Poland

Scuba Sign Language = Underwater Sign Language: United States

Seeing Essential English (SEE I) (defunct): United States

• STUDY: Anthony, David (1973). "Seeing Essential English", in Gustason, Gerilee, and Woodward, James C., eds., Recent developments in manual English. Washington, D.C.: Gallaudet College, p.13-26.

Seeing Essential Polish = DIALECT of Polish Finger Language: Poland

Selangor Sign Language: Malaysia

Seraglio Sign Language (defunct): Turkey / Ottoman Empire

• STUDY: Mirzoeff, Nicholas (1995). "Framed: the deaf in the harem," in Terry, Jennifer, and Jacqueline Urla, Deviant bodies: critical perspectives on difference in science and popular culture. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, p.49-77.

Serbian Sign Language = DIALECT of Yugoslavian Sign Language: Yugoslavia

Sfàt ha-simaním ha-israelít = Israeli Sign Language: Israel

Shanghai Sign Language = DIALECT of Chinese Sign Language: China, Singapore

• STUDY: Taylor, Allan R. (1956). The Shanghai gesture. (Folklore Fellows Communication No. 166). Helsinki: [s.n.]

Shuwa = Japanese Sign Language: Japan

Sicilian Sign Language: Italy

• REPORT: Dumas, Alexander (1859 April). "Use of the language of signs by the Sicilians." American Annals of the Deaf and Dumb, v.11, no.2, p.124-126

Siena Sign Language = DIALECT of Italian Sign Language: Italy

Sign Language of the Netherlands = Dutch Sign Language: Netherlands

Sign Supported Dutch: Netherlands

• STUDY: Fortgens, Connie, and Harry Knoors (1994). "Distinguishing between Sign Language of the Netherlands and Sign Supported Dutch," in Bogaerde, Beppie van den; Harry Knoors; and Maaike Verrips, eds., Language acquisition with non-native input. Amsterdam: University of Amsterdam, p.93-117.

Sign Supported English (SSE): Great Britain

Sign Urdu: Pakistan

Signed Afrikaans: South Africa

Signed Danish: Denmark

• STUDY: Hansen, Britta (1980). "Can signed Danish as it is used by the deaf themselves be an appropriate mode of communication between deaf and hearing people?: an analysis of some characteristics in signed Danish," in Ahlgren, Inger, and Brita Bergman, eds., Papers from the First International Symposium on Sign Language Research, June 10-16, 1979, Skepparholmen, Sweden. Leksand, Sweden: Sveriges Dövas Riksförbund, p.179-189.

Signed English: United States, Canada

• DICTIONARY: Bornstein, Harry L. et al. (1975). The Signed English dictionary for preschool and elementary levels, revised and expanded ed. Washington: Gallaudet College Press.
• STUDY: Bornstein, Harry (1973). "Signed English: an aid to English language development", in Gustason, Gerilee, and Woodward, James C., eds., Recent developments in manual English. Washington, D.C.: Gallaudet College, p.49-65.

Signed Finnish: Finland

Signed French: Canada

Signed French: France (le Français Signé)

• STUDY: Mottez, Bernard (1984). "Français signé." Coup d'il, v.8 no.39, p.16-19.

Signed German: Switzerland

Signed German = Speech-Accompanied Signs: Germany

Signed Japanese = Manually Coded Japanese: Japan

Signed Mandarin: Taiwan

Signed Norwegian: Norway

Signed Portuguese: Portugal

Signed Spanish: Puerto Rico

Signed Swedish: Sweden, Finland

• STUDY: Bergman, Brita (1979). Signed Swedish: educational research. Stockholm: Liber.

Signing Exact English (SEE II): United States, Singapore

• STUDY: Gustason, Gerilee (1973). "Signing Exact English", in Gustason, Gerilee, and James C. Woodward, eds., Recent developments in manual English. Washington, D.C.: Gallaudet College, p.38-48.

Signing Exact Polish = DIALECT of Polish Finger Language: Poland

Singapore Sign Language: Singapore

• DICTIONARY: Singapore Association for the Deaf Sign Language Committee (1990). Sign for Singapore. Singapore: Time Books International.

Simultaneous Methodic Signs = Manually Coded Japanese: Japan

Slovakian Sign Language: Slovakia

• DICTIONARY: Pät prstekov na ruke: obrázková kniha a posunková rec pre najmensoe nepocujúce deti (1994). Bratislava: Vydavatel'stvo BUVIK.

Slovenian Sign Language = DIALECT of Yugoslavian Sign Language: Slovenia

• DICTIONARY: Slovar slovenskega znakovnega jezika (2000). [CD-ROM]. Lubljana: Zoom Promotion.

South African Sign Language: South Africa.

• DICTIONARY: Penn, Claire (1994). Dictionary of Southern African signs for communicating with the deaf. [s.l.]: Human Sciences Research Council.
• STUDY: Penn, C., and Timothy Reagan (1994). "The properties of South African Sign Language: lexical diversity and syntactic unity." Sign language studies, 85:317-25.

South African Indian Sign Language: DIALECT of South African Sign Language: South Africa

• STUDY: Saleh, S. (1986). Signs used by pupils and teachers at the Lenasia School for the Deaf: a comparative study. Thesis. Johannesburg: Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, University of the Witwatersrand.

South Belgian Sign Language = DIALECT of Belgian Sign Language: Belgium

Southern French Sign Language = Marseilles Sign Language, DIALECT of French Sign Language: France

Spanish Sign Language: Spain

• DICTIONARY: Pinedo Peydró, Félix Jesús (2000). Diccionario de Lengua de Signos Española. [Madrid]: Confederacion Nacional de Sordos de España.
• STUDY: Martínez Sánchez, Francisco (2002). Apuntes de lingüística de la Lengua de Signos Española. Madrid : Fundación CNSE para la supresión de las barreras de comunicación.

Speech-Accompanied Signs: Germany

• STUDY: Hogger, Birgit (1991). "Linguistische Überlegungen zur lautsprachbegleitenden Gebärdung." Hörgeschädigtenpädagogik, v.45 no.4, p.234-237.

Speech-Supported Signs: Switzerland

Sri Lankan Sign Language: Sri Lanka

• DICTIONARY: Sri Lankan Sign Dictionary (1989). Maharagama, Sri Lanka: National Institute of Education.
• STUDY: Schroeder, Odd-Inge (1986). "Tegnsprog og de doves forhold på Sri Lanka." Døves tidskrift, v.38.

Suomalainen viittomakieli = Finnish Sign Language: Finland

Swedish Sign Language: Sweden, Tanzania

• DICTIONARY: Sveriges Dövas Riksförbund (1998). Svenst teckensråkslexikon. Örebro: Tryckmakarna.
• STUDY: Bergman, Brita (1977). Tecknad svenska. Vällingsby: LiberLäromedel/Utbildnungsförlaget.

Swiss-French Sign Language: Switzerland

• DICTIONARY: La langue des signes de Suisse romande [DVD]. Geneva, Switzerland: Fédération Suisse des Sourds Région-Romande, 2004.
• STUDY: Boyes Braem, Penny et al. (1989). "Une comparison de techniques pour exprimer des rôles sémantiques et des relations locatives dans les langues des signes suisse-française et italienne," in Quertinmont, Sophie, and Filip Loncke, eds., Études européennes en langues des signes. Bruxelles: EDIRSA, p.111-140.

Swiss-German Sign Language: Switzerland

• DICTIONARY: Illustration der Grundgebärden der deutschweizerischen Gebärdensprache (1992). Zürich: Schweizerischen Gehörlosenbund Region Deutschschweiz.
• STUDY: Boyes Braem, Penny (1984). "Studying Swiss German sign language dialects," in Loncke, Filip; Boyes Braem, Penny; and Lebrun, Yvan, eds., Recent research on European sign languages: proceedings of the European Meeting of Sign Language Research, held in Brussels, September 19-25, 1982. Lisse: Swets & Zeitlinger, p 93-103.

Swiss-Italian Sign Language: Switzerland

Tainan Sign Language = DIALECT of Taiwanese Sign Language: China (Taiwan)

Taipei Sign Language = DIALECT of Taiwanese Sign Language: China (Taiwan)

Taiwanese Sign Language: China (Taiwan)

• DICTIONARY: Yang, Chiung-huang and Lu Nan-Chou (1984). Piaochun shouyu shout'se. Taipei: Lung ya fu li hsieh hui.
• STUDY: Chien-Min Chao, James (1994). "Taiwan natural sign language research work," in Erting, Carol J. et al., eds., The deaf way : perspectives from the International Conference on Deaf Culture. Washington, D.C.: Gallaudet University Press, p.347-349.

Tak Sign Language = DIALECT of Thai Sign Language: Thailand

Táknmál = Icelandic Sign Language: Iceland

Tanzanian Sign Language: Tanzania

• DICTIONARY: Kamusi ya alama Tanzania = The Tanzanian sign language dictionary (1993). Dar es Salaam: Tanzanian Association of the Deaf.
• STUDY: Anduru, Agoro (1992). "The development of sign language in Tanzania," in East African Sign Language Seminar, Debre Zeit, Ethiopia, August 20-26, 1990. Helsinki : Finnish Association of the Deaf, p.40-41.

Tea House Sign Language: Iran

Temane = Japanese Sign Language: Japan

Thai Sign Language: Thailand

• DICTIONARY: Suwannarat, Manfa [et al.] (1990). Pathanukrom phasa mu Thai: chabap prapprung lm khayai = The Thai sign language dictionary. [Bangkok, Thailand]: Samakhom Khon Hu Nuak hng Prathet Thai, 2533, 1990.
• STUDY: Suwanarat, Manfa, and Owen Wrigley (1990). "Sign language research in Thailand," in Edmondson, William H., and Fred Karlsson, eds., SLR´87: papers from the Fourth International Symposium on Sign Language Research, Lappeenranta, Finland July 15-19, 1987. Hamburg : Signum, p.276-278.

Tibetan Sign Language: Tibet

Torres Straits Islander Sign Language = DIALECT of Australian Aborigines Sign Language: Australia

• STUDIES: Haddon, Alfred C. (1907). "The gesture language of the Eastern Islanders," in Reports of the Cambridge Anthropological Expedition to Torres Straits. Cambridge, England: The University Press, v.3.

  Seligman, C. G., and A. Wilkin (1907). "The gesture language of the Western Islanders," in Reports of the Cambridge Anthropological Expedition to Torres Straits. Cambridge, England: The University Press, v.3.

Trappist Sign Language: Worldwide, but especially France, Britain, United States

• DICTIONARY: Hutt, Clelia (1987). "Étude d´un corpus: dictionnaire du langage gestuel chez les trappistes," in Umiker-Seboek, Jean, and Thomas A. Sebeok, eds., Monastic sign languages. Berlin, New York, Amsterdam: Mouton de Gruyter, p.39-52.

Trieste Sign Language = DIALECT of Italian Sign Language: Italy

Trondheim Sign Language = DIALECT of Norwegian Sign Language: Norway

Tunisian Sign Language: Tunisia

Turin Sign Language = DIALECT of Italian Sign Language: Italy

Turkish Sign Language: Turkey

• DICTIONARY: Yetiskinler için Isaret dili Kilavuzu (1995). Ankara: [s.n.].

Ugandan Sign Language: Uganda

• DICTIONARY: Manual of Ugandan Signs, revised edition (1998). Kampala, Uganda: Uganda National Association of the Deaf.
• STUDY: Nyst, Victoria (1999). Variation in handshape in Uganda Sign Language. (Diploma thesis). Leyden, The Netherlands: Leyden University.

Ukrainian Sign Language: Ukraine

• DICTIONARY: Mimiko-zhestiku liatsionnaia rech/posobie sostavleno N.V. Ivanyushevoi (1969). Kiev: Izdatelstvo "Reklama".

Underwater Sign Language: United States

• DICTIONARY: Smith, James P. (1994). Divers underwater communication sign system: an illustrated sign manual for scuba divers. Flagstaff, AZ: Best Pub. Co.
• STUDY: "The Wisher system: underwater communication via sign language" (1960). Naval research reviews, Nov. 1960, p.28-29.

Urubú-Kaapor Sign Language: Brazil

• STUDY: Kakamasu, Jim (1978). "Urubú Sign Language", in Aboriginal sign languages of the Americas and Australia. New York: Plenum Press, v.2, p.247-253.

Uruguayan Sign Language: Uruguay

• STUDY: Behares, Luis Ernesto (1986). Cuatro estudios sobre la sociolingü´stica del lenguaje de señas Uruguayo. Montevideo, Uruguay: Instituto Interamericano del Niño.

Valencian Sign Language: Spain (Llengua de Signes en la Comunitat Valenciana)

Van Beek: Netherlands, Belgium

Venezuelan Sign Language: Venezuela (Lengua de Señas Venezolana)

• DICTIONARY: Solano, Josefina (1983). Manual de señas. [S.l.: s.n.].
• STUDY: Oviedo, Alejandro (1996). Contando cuentos en Lengua de Señas Venezolana. Mérida, Venezuela: Universidad de Los Andes, Consejo de Publicaciones: Consejo de Desarrollo Científico, Humanístico y Tecnológico.

Vietnamese Sign Language: Vietnam

• STUDY: Woodward, James (2000). "Sign languages and sign language families in Thailand and Viet Nam," in Emmorey, Karen, and Harlan Lane, eds., The signs of language revisited : an anthology to honor Ursula Bellugi and Edward Klima. Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum, p.23-47.

Viittomakieli = Finnish Sign Language: Finland

Walpari [or Walpiri or Walbiri] Sign Language = DIALECT of Australian Aborigines Sign Language: Australia

• DICTIONARY: Wright, Cheryl D. (1980). Walpiri hand talk: an illustrated dictionary of hand signs used by the Walpiri people of central Australia. Darwin, NT: Northern Territory Department of Education.
• STUDY: Meggit, Mervyn (1978). "Sign language among the Walbiri of Central Australia," in Aboriginal sign languages of the Americas and Australia. New York: Plenum Press, v.2, p.409-423.

Warumungu [or Warramunga] Sign Language = DIALECT of Australian Aborigines Sign Language: Australia

Welsh Sign Language = DIALECT of British Sign Language: Great Britain

• DICTIONARY: Wales Council for the Deaf (1996). Welsh book of sign = Llyfr arwyddion Cymraeg, 2nd ed. Pontypridd: Wales Council for the Deaf.

Western Desert Sign Language = DIALECT of Australian Aborigines Sign Language: Australia

• STUDY: Miller, Wick R. (1978). "A report on the sign language of the Western Desert (Australia)," in Aboriginal sign languages of the Americas and Australia. New York: Plenum Press, v.2, p.435-440.

Worldsign: International

• STUDY: Warrick, Anne (1984). "Worldsign: a kinetic language," Communicating together, v.2 no.3, p.17-19.

Worora Kinship Sign Language = DIALECT of Australian Aborigines Sign Language: Australia

• STUDY: Love, J.R.B. (1941). "Worora kinship gestures," in Aboriginal sign languages of the Americas and Australia. New York: Plenum Press, v.2, p.403-405.

Yiddish Sign Language: Israel

Yucatec Maya Sign Language = Mayan Sign Language: Mexico

Yugoslavian Sign Language: Yugoslavia, Slovenia

• DICTIONARY: Podborsek, Ljubica, and Moderndorfer, Meri (1990). Govorica rok: Prirocnik za ucenje znakovnega jezika. Ljubljana: ZUSGP, Tiskarna Ucne delavnice.
• STUDY: Zic, Andrija (1987). "Yugoslavian Sign Language," in Van Cleve, John V., ed., Gallaudet encyclopedia of deaf people and deafness. New York, McGraw-Hill, v.3, p.116-118.

Yurira Watjalku = Western Desert Sign Language

Zambian Sign Language: Zambia.

• DICTIONARY: Zambian Sign Language (1985). Lusake: Curriculum Development Centre, Ministry of General Education and Culture.
• STUDY: Katongo, G.P.N. (1987). Sign language: an investigation into Zambian Sign Language. Unpublished manuscript.

Zimbabwe Community Sign Language = DIALECT of Zimbabwe Sign Language: Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe School Sign Language = DIALECT of Zimbabwe Sign Language: Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe Sign Language: Zimbabwe

• STUDY: Chimedza, Robert (1995). "A survey of sign language differences among deaf adults in Zimbabwe." Zimbabwe journal of educational research, v.7 no.3, p.314-322.

Zimsign = Zimbabwe Sign Language

Ziran Shouyu = Taiwanese Sign Language

Zürich Sign Language = DIALECT of Swiss-German Sign Language: Switzerland

Copyright ©2008 Gallaudet University  800 Florida Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20002