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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">I'm the primary research editor for
sign languages for Ethnologue, so let me add a couple comments. <br>
<br>
We've held off making any fine-grained classification of sign
languages into families because we prefer to let the consensus of
the field sort things out before we say anything. A while back,
for example, someone urged us to subdivide "Deaf sign language"
into something on the order of village and national sign
languages, but there still is debate about whether that's a
reasonable way to do things or not, so for now we're just keeping
them together in one large group.<br>
<br>
With regards to the comments within entries about what I'll call
for the moment "connections" between sign languages, we're taking
a close look at a lot of those. Some of those comments were
inserted solely on the basis of some historical event (e.g.
someone from one school visiting another one early in its
history), without actually looking at the impact of that event on
the language. We're working on getting rid of those, or
clarifying that the comment is only about historical contact.
Certainly, if anyone knows of comments that are inaccurate, please
let me know.<br>
<br>
Even when there are "connections" between sign languages, it
remains an open question whether to consider this an instance of
genetic relationship or borrowing. One of the challenges in this
area is that when a sign language is transported from one country
to another, there's a good chance that it will creolize with home
sign or other systems already in the new country, and so it's not
a clean case of ordinary genetic descent. <br>
<br>
Finally, although Ethnologue lists the 137 sign languages that are
in ISO 639-3, we've recently concluded that one of them most
likely never existed: Yiddish Sign Language [yds]. If anyone has
evidence that it really did exist as a separate language (and not
a dialect of some other sign language with added Jewish
vocabulary), please let me know.<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--Albert
Albert Bickford
SIL International
Linguistic Services Coordinator, Global Sign Languages Team
Director, SIL-UND
Please use different email addresses for different topics:
sign languages: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:linguistic_services_gslt@sil.org">linguistic_services_gslt@sil.org</a>
SIL-UND: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:director_silund@sil.org">director_silund@sil.org</a>
other: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:albert_bickford@sil.org">albert_bickford@sil.org</a>
late May through early August:
2901 University Ave Stop 8217, Grand Forks ND 58202; 701-777-0575
mid-August through mid-May:
16131 N. Vernon Dr., Tucson AZ 85739; 520-825-1229
</pre>
On 2014/02/06 2:45 PM, Calle Börstell wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote class=" cite"
id="mid_CALLX9wDbOehHunNJzB_dc4uoDP8fu0JZf6ztu_NUJvtRasg_5A_mail_gmail_com"
cite="mid:CALLX9wDbOehHunNJzB=dc4uoDP8fu0JZf6ztu-NUJvtRasg_5A@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite">
<div dir="ltr">In the places where this BSL-SSL link is mentioned
(often online, e.g. Wikipedia), it is usually cited as Wittman
(1991), but I don't understand why he sorted SSL under BSL in
the first place. Mesch (2006) did a lexical comparison study
between SSL and BSL, and found that a 35 % similarity (as
opposed to 60 % for SSL and FinSL, for which there is a known
historical link). Bergman & Engberg-Pedersen (2010) should
be the go-to reference for a summary of the history of SSL (as
well as DSL and FinSL).
<div>
<br>
</div>
<div>The Ethnologue lists 137 SLs under a joint category called
"Deaf sign language", but under each entry you can (hopefully)
find listings of relatedness/similarities with other SLs. I
can't tell how accurate they all are, though: <a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://www.ethnologue.com/subgroups/deaf-sign-language">https://www.ethnologue.com/subgroups/deaf-sign-language</a><br>
<div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>
<p style="margin-left:24pt">Bergman, Brita & Elisabeth
Engberg-Pedersen. 2010. Transmission of sign languages
in the nordic countries. In Diane Brentari (ed.), <i>Sign
languages: A Cambridge language survey</i>, 74–94. New
York, NY: Cambridge University Press.</p>
</div>
<div>
<p style="margin-left:24pt">Mesch, Johanna. 2006. Påminner
nationella teckenspråk om varandra? In Karin Hoyer,
Monica Londen & Jan-Ola Östman (eds.), <i>Teckenspråk:
Sociala och historiska perspektiv</i>, 71–95.
Helsinki: Nordica, Institutionen för nordiska språk och
nordisk litteratur, Helsingfors universitet.</p>
</div>
<div>
<p style="margin-left:24pt">Wittman, Henri. 1991.
Classification linguistique des langues signees non
vocalement. <i>Revue québécoise de linguistique
théorique et appliquée</i> 10(1). 215–288.</p>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Calle Börstell</div>
<div>PhD student</div>
<div>Dept. of Linguistics</div>
<div>Stockholm University</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="gmail_extra"><br>
<br>
<div class="gmail_quote">2014-02-06 22:02 GMT+01:00 Adam
Schembri <span dir="ltr"><<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:A.Schembri@latrobe.edu.au" target="_blank">A.Schembri@latrobe.edu.au</a>></span>:<br>
<blockquote id="Cite_7814663" class="gmail_quote cite"
style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc
solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div
style="font-size:14px;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;word-wrap:break-word">
<div>
<div>
<div>Yes, this chart has been making the rounds
online. I'm not aware of any evidence for a
relationship between BSL and Swedish Sign Language
(can anyone here explain why it is listed under
BSL?), and the degree of relationship with the other
sign languages here varies considerably. Auslan
appears to be missing from this chart (Australia
should be listed along with New Zealand). </div>
<div>Adam</div>
<div>
<div>-- </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>
<div style="font-family:Consolas"><font><span
style="font-family:Calibri">Assoc. Prof.
Adam Schembri, PhD
</span><span
style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://latrobe.academia.edu/AdamSchembri"
target="_blank">https://latrobe.academia.edu/AdamSchembri</a></span></font></div>
<div style="font-family:Consolas"><font><span
style="font-family:Calibri">Linguistics
program | Department of Languages, Histories
and Cultures | </span><span
style="font-family:Calibri">Faculty of
Humanities and Social Sciences | </span><span
style="font-family:Calibri">La Trobe
University | Melbourne (Bundoora) | Victoria
| 3086 | Australia |</span><span
style="font-family:Calibri">Tel : <a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="tel:%2B61%203%209479%202887"
value="+61394792887" target="_blank">+61 3
9479 2887</a> | Mob: <a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="tel:%2B61%20432%20840%20744"
value="+61432840744" target="_blank">+61
432 840 744</a> | Twitter: @AdamCSchembri
| Director, </span><span
style="font-family:Calibri">Centre for
Research on Language Diversity </span><a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.latrobe.edu.au/crld"
target="_blank"><span
style="font-family:Calibri">http://www.latrobe.edu.au/crld</span></a><span
style="font-family:Calibri"> &
Linguistics Discipline Research Program| </span><span
style="font-family:Calibri">Sign Language
Linguistics Society: </span><span
style="font-family:Calibri"><a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.slls.eu/" target="_blank">http://www.slls.eu</a> | </span><span
style="font-family:Calibri">ALLY Network
Member supporting GLBTIQ students and staff</span><span
style="font-family:Calibri">: <a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.latrobe.edu.au/equality/ally"
target="_blank">www.latrobe.edu.au/equality/ally</a> </span><a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.latrobe.edu.au/equality/ally"
target="_blank"><span
style="font-family:Calibri">http://www.latrobe.edu.au/equality/ally</span></a></font></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<span>
<div style="border-right:medium
none;padding-right:0in;padding-left:0in;padding-top:3pt;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;border-bottom:medium
none;font-family:Calibri;border-top:#b5c4df 1pt
solid;padding-bottom:0in;border-left:medium none">
<span style="font-weight:bold">From: </span>Miako
Rankin <<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:miako.rankin@GALLAUDET.EDU"
target="_blank">miako.rankin@GALLAUDET.EDU</a>><br>
<span style="font-weight:bold">Reply-To: </span>linguists
interested in signed languages <<a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:SLLING-L@LISTSERV.VALENCIACOLLEGE.EDU"
target="_blank">SLLING-L@LISTSERV.VALENCIACOLLEGE.EDU</a>><br>
<span style="font-weight:bold">Date: </span>Thu, 6
Feb 2014 09:57:09 -0500<br>
<span style="font-weight:bold">To: </span><<a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:SLLING-L@LISTSERV.VALENCIACOLLEGE.EDU"
target="_blank">SLLING-L@LISTSERV.VALENCIACOLLEGE.EDU</a>><br>
<span style="font-weight:bold">Subject: </span>Re:
[TEACHASL] Sign Langauge Family Map<br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<blockquote class=" cite" id="Cite_4200123"
style="BORDER-LEFT:#b5c4df 5 solid;PADDING:0 0 0
5;MARGIN:0 0 0 5">
<div>
<div style="word-wrap:break-word">
I've seen this one going around (attached, hope
you can see it - if not, try this link: <a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=721650357845504&set=pb.130754623601750.-2207520000.1391698382.&type=3&theater"
target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=721650357845504&set=pb.130754623601750.-2207520000.1391698382.&type=3&theater</a>).
Googled "sign language family tree" and this was
the one that came up. No idea where it came from
or what kind of accuracy it has. Someone's name is
at the bottom but it's too small for me to make it
out.
<div>Would love to see a linguistically
accurate/inclusive/nuanced one.<br>
<div>
<div>--Miako </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><img
src="cid:part14.08070106.04090005@sil.org"
height="608" width="480"></div>
<br>
<div>
<div>On Feb 6, 2014, at 9:40 AM, "Adam
Frost" <<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:adam@FROSTVILLAGE.COM"
target="_blank">adam@FROSTVILLAGE.COM</a>>
wrote:</div>
<br>
<blockquote class=" cite" id="Cite_3310847"
type="cite">
<div dir="auto">
<div>This was a question on the TeachASL
list. She is asking for a sign
language family map. Does anyone know
where to find a good one?</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Adam<br>
<br>
<br>
Begin forwarded message:<br>
<br>
</div>
<blockquote class=" cite"
id="Cite_8249267" type="cite"><b>From:</b>
"Heather Berry" <<a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:heatherraeberry@YAHOO.COM"
target="_blank">heatherraeberry@YAHOO.COM</a>><br>
<b>Date:</b> February 6, 2014 at
6:36:07 AM PST<br>
<b>To:</b> <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:TEACHASL@LISTSERV.VALENCIACOLLEGE.EDU" target="_blank">TEACHASL@LISTSERV.VALENCIACOLLEGE.EDU</a><br>
<b>Subject:</b> <b>[TEACHASL] Sign
Langauge Family Map</b><br>
<b>Reply-To:</b> "Heather Berry" <<a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:heatherraeberry@yahoo.com"
target="_blank">heatherraeberry@yahoo.com</a>><br>
<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class=" cite"
id="Cite_9226546" type="cite">
<div
style="font-size:12pt;font-family:HelveticaNeue,'Helvetica
Neue',Helvetica,Arial,'Lucida
Grande',sans-serif">
<div>My students are working on
Signing Naturally the country unit
and picking different countries to
research what the Deaf community
is like. I had a student ask if
there are families of sign just
like there are families of spoken
language, ie romance languages
etc. I know there are but I am
looking for some sort of visual or
map that illustrates this in an
easy to understand format. I know
these exist for spoken language.
Does anyone know if something like
this exists for sign?</div>
<div>Thanks!</div>
<div>Heather </div>
</div>
</blockquote>
</div>
</blockquote>
</div>
<br>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
</span>
</div>
</blockquote>
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