Eritrean Sign Language

Last updated
Eritrean Sign Language
Native to Eritrea
Swedish Sign Language family [1]
  • Eritrean Sign Language
Language codes
ISO 639-3

Eritrean Sign Language (EriSL) is a sign language widely used in Eritrea. It developed out of the Swedish and Finnish Sign Languages, [1] that were introduced by Swedish and Finnish Christian missionaries in 1955, [1] containing a certain amount of local Eritrean signs and having ASL-based Sudanese influences. [2] According to Moges 2011, 70% of the EriSL and Finnish signs are identical. [1] Since 2005, the Eritrean National Association of the Deaf has made linguistic purification attempts to replace Swedish and Finnish signs from the EriSL lexicon by 'Eritrean' ones in an effort to create a more distinct, "indigenous" language. [1] This process is referred to as 'demissionization'. [1]

Swedish Sign Language family tree
Swedish Sign Language
(c. 1800–present)
Portuguese Sign Language
(c. 1820–present)
Finnish Sign Language
(c. 1850–present)
Finland-Swedish Sign Language
(c. 1850–present)
Eritrean Sign Language
(c. 1950–present)

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Moges, Rezenet Tsegay (2015). It's a Small World. International Deaf Spaces and Encounters. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press. pp. 114–125.
  2. Moges, Rezenet (January 2008). "Construction in Eritrean Sign Language". R. M. de Quadros (ed.). Editora Arara Azul. Petrópolis/RJ. Brazil. California State University . Retrieved 1 May 2013.