ISO 639 and sign languages

[Adam Schembri]

Michael,

The SIL Ethnologue is a good starting point, but it is not 100% reliable.
They give abbreviations for the names of signed languages, for example,
which seem to reflect their own classification system, and not usage in the
country in question. There is also ongoing debate about how many signed
languages actually exist. Ulrike Zeshan has proposed that Indian and
Pakistani Sign Languages are actually variants of the one language which she
has named IndoPakistani Sign Language (IPSL). There are competing views
about how many signed languages exist in South Africa. The relationship
between Auslan (Australian Sign Language) and British Sign Language is also
an area for debate. They too might best be considered varieties of the one
signed language (although no-one has yet suggested a name we can use to
refer to this Anglo-Australian sign language!). Two varieties of Nicaraguan
Sign Language have been identified, known as ISN and LSN respectively. I
could go on...the point is that nothing like this kind of detail is provided
in the SIL Ethnologue.

Although I applaud your efforts, any system of language code(s) for signed
languages should only be considered provisional.

Adam Schembri

_____________________________________________________________

Adam Schembri
Renwick College
Private Bag 29
Parramatta NSW
2124 AUSTRALIA
Ph (voice/TTY): (61 2) 9872 0303
Fax: (61 2) 9873 1614


>From: Michael Everson <everson at EGT.IE>
>Reply-To: "For the discussion of linguistics and signed languages."
>      <SLLING-L at ADMIN.HUMBERC.ON.CA>
>To: SLLING-L at ADMIN.HUMBERC.ON.CA
>Subject: ISO 639 and sign languages
>Date: Sat, 5 Feb 2000 14:44:56 +0000
>
>Dear readers of SLLING-L.
>
>With regard to the application for a language code for Sign Languages found
>in the application by the Irish National Body and the Deaf Action Committee
>for SignWriting, you can find it at
>http://www.egt.ie/standards/iso639/sign-language.html (a different address
>than what Valerie sent).
>
>We believe that the scheme for identifying Sign Languages found in that
>document is robust, extensible, and unambiguous, which, of course, is the
>point. As the document states, the repertoire of languages was taken from
>the Summer Institute of Linguistics' Ethnologue. If there are errors or
>omissions, or useful URLs linking to sites dealing with individual
>languages, I should be very grateful to receive such information.
>
>To the SLLING-L list administrator: Please see the List of Language Lists
>http://www.egt.ie/langlist.html and inform me of any required corrections.






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