names of signed languages

[Dan Parvaz]

I have similar issues regarding my work in Jordan.  The word that Jordanian
Deaf use for their language looks pretty much like the International Gesture
word for SIGN.  What the hearing professionals in Jordan use is either "lughat
ul-ishaara" (sign langauge) or "lughat ul-ishaara l-9arabiyya" (Arab Sign
Language).  Problem is, any Arab country with a bad enough case of
Pan-Arab-itis could use that nomenclature, and it would be completely
unhelpful. It would be like lumping ASL, BSL, Ausslan, NZSL, and a bunch of
others under the rubric of "Anglophone Sign Langauge". :-\

At last count South Africa had... how many SLs? Fourteen? Seventeen? I would
assume that what most people call "South African Sign Language" is really
"Afrikaaner Sign Langauge (ASL?)"

Urgh.

Dan.