ISO 639-3 code for International Sign Language--a good idea? How to proceed?

[GerardM]

Hoi,
It happens that I have a keen interest in the ISO-639 process and its
different versions.

When there are more clearly identifiable sign languages not recognised in
the standard, it is possible to get recognition for all of them. When there
is a consensus of what makes "International Sign", or at least when people
recognise it as such even when it has different dialects and / or
interpretations it is possible to gain recognition for it. In my opinion, it
makes best sense when there are people who are championing it, who are an
ambassador for this language. When these ambassadors for International Sign
also champions the use of SignWriting, it will encourage the unification of
this language and it will promote the use of SignWriting in other sign
languages.

With Signundo having an active community, it can have its own language code
as well. When Gestuno has no active community, it is unlikely that there is
an immediate need for an ISO 639 code for it.\

Thanks,
     Gerard

On 11/2/07, Valerie Sutton <sutton at signwriting.org> wrote:
>
> Al -
>
> In my experience....there are several different international signing
> systems, so there is not just one International Sign system.
>
> One is related to Esperanto, called Signuno, and the Signuno group
> has written their signs in SignWriting. There are 2311 Signuno signs
> in SignPuddle Online. Take a look:
>
> Signuno SignPuddle
> http://www.signbank.org/SignPuddle1.5/index.php?ui=11&sgn=54
>
> The icons on that page are written in Signuno and Esperanto. The icon
> to the top left means "Search for Signs" and if you click on that and
> then place an asterisk in the search field and press the Enter Key,
> it will list all the signs they have entered in their form of
> international signing, called Signuno...
>
> And while I worked in Denmark in the 1970's and 1980's I was handed a
> book called Gestuno. I own the book still...it is a blue one. Perhaps
> some of the list members know the book?...Gestuno was at that time a
> form of international signing, and I started to write it in
> SignWriting from the book. But I never finished because I learned not
> that many people were using Gestuno...
>
> Since then we have worked with international interpreters who were
> clearly not using Gestuno...
>
> Another form of international signing was written in SignWriting in
> the 1990's as a part of a research project headed by Dr. Bencie
> Woll...Benice if you are here on this List, maybe you can tell them
> about it...
>
> Or you can read about it on this web article:
>
> International Signs Project 1993-1994
> University of Bristol
> http://www.signwriting.org/uk/GB01.html
> (scroll down to the bottom of the web page)
>
> So the question is...which international signing system do you mean?
> I have seen it change from interpreter to interpreter depending on
> the nationalities of the people watching the interpreter...the
> interpreter is flexible and works with the people present to make it
> a good communication experience for everyone... it is impressive and
> amazing to watch - but elusive as well...
>
> Val ;-)
>
> Valerie Sutton
> Sutton at SignWriting.org
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Nov 1, 2007, at 6:51 PM, Albert Bickford wrote:
>
> > Many of you are familiar with the ISO 639-3 ( http://www.sil.org/
> > iso639-3/) standard of three-letter codes for identifying
> > languages.  Originally derived from Ethnologue codes, it now has an
> > independent existence as an official international standard of the
> > International Organization for Standards.
> >
> > At present, there is no ISO 639-3 code for International Sign.
> > Given that there is a dictionary of 1500 signs published, it seems
> > like it might be useful to have such a code.  However, I know so
> > little about International Sign, and others know so much more, I
> > would be reluctant to be the one to actually submit the proposal.
> > Hence this posting--a request for help and advice.
> >
> > I gather that International Sign is not a language, but a somewhat
> > artificially constructed body of vocabulary that is combined with a
> > user's native SL grammar and applied very flexibly according to the
> > specific communicative situation.
> >
> > The ISO standard does have codes for many artifical languages, so
> > we could still justify having a code for it.  What is not so
> > obvious to me is whether the standard should identify International
> > Sign as an artificial language, or whether there has been enough
> > natural interaction and development over the years to erase
> > whatever artificiality may have originally existed.  In most
> > artificial languages, the most artificial element is the grammar
> > (as in Signing Exact English in North America).  This is one aspect
> > of International Sign that has *not* been artificially
> > constrained.  So, maybe it's more like a pidgin, right?
> >
> > What do people on this list feel should be done?
> >
> > Incidentally, a lot of possible three-letter codes that would make
> > sense as the code for International Sign are already in use for
> > other languages. However, "ils" is available, so that might be a
> > good choice.  It actually doesn't matter exactly what code is
> > chosen for a particular language.  The important thing is that it
> > be unique and that its reference be clearly documented so people
> > know what it refers to.  That's what the ISO standard aims to do.
> >
> > -- Albert
> >
> > Albert Bickford
> > _______________________________________________
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