Deaf sign language of Uganda
Ugandan Sign Language |
---|
USL |
Native to | Uganda |
---|
Native speakers | 160,000 (2008)[1] |
---|
Language family | local creole? |
---|
Language codes |
---|
ISO 639-3 | ugn |
---|
Glottolog | ugan1238 |
---|
Ugandan Sign Language (USL) is the deaf sign language of Uganda. Uganda was the second country in the world to recognize sign language in its constitution, in 1995. A Ugandan Sign Language Dictionary has been published. However, knowledge of USL is primarily urban, as access to education for the rural deaf remains poor. Nonetheless, USL is a highly valued element of group identity among the deaf community.
The first Ugandan schools for the deaf opened in 1962, and several sign languages are reported to have merged in 1988, when sign was allowed in the classroom. This suggests that USL may be a creole of the local languages that the deaf students created informally in the different schools. There were also influences from ASL, BSL, and Kenyan Sign Language, the first two from the language of instruction in early classrooms, and the latter from deaf Ugandans who went to Kenya for higher education.
Both the British two-handed manual alphabet and the American manual alphabet are used, with minor modifications. Finger-spelling and initialized signs using both alphabets are common among people who learned USL formally as children. Mouthing is also common with abbreviated syllables from both English and Luganda.
It is unclear if USL is related to Rwandan Sign Language.
References
- ^ Ugandan Sign Language at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022)
- Dorothy Lule and Lars Wallin, 2010, "Transmission of Sign Languages in Africa". In Brentari, ed, Sign Languages. Cambridge University Press.
External links
- Signs for family relationships in USL
- Common signs in USL
Languages of Uganda
Official languages | - English
- Swahili
- Ugandan Sign Language
|
---|
Indigenous languages | |
---|
|
---|
|
Language families[a] | Sign languages by family |
---|
Australian Aboriginal (multiple families)[c] | |
---|
Arab (Ishaaric) | | Iraqi– Levantine | | Levantine | - Jordanian
- Lebanese
- Palestinian
- Syrian
|
---|
|
---|
Possible | |
---|
|
---|
BANZSL | |
---|
Chinese Sign | |
---|
Chilean-Paraguayan- Uruguayan Sign | | Paraguayan- Uruguayan Sign | |
---|
|
---|
Francosign | | American (ASLic) | |
---|
Austro- Hungarian | Russian Sign | |
---|
Yugoslavic Sign | |
---|
|
---|
Dutch Sign | |
---|
Italian Sign | |
---|
Mexican Sign | |
---|
Old Belgian | |
---|
Danish (Tegnic) | |
---|
Viet-Thai | |
---|
|
---|
German Sign | |
---|
Indo-Pakistani Sign | - Bangalore-Madras
- Beluchistan
- Bengali
- Bombay
- Calcutta
- Delhi
- Nepali
- North West Frontier Province
- Punjab-Sindh
|
---|
Japanese Sign | |
---|
Kentish[c] | |
---|
Mayan (Meemul Tziij) | - Highland Maya
- Yucatec
- Chicán
- Nohkop
- Nohya
- Trascorral
- Cepeda Peraza
|
---|
Original Thai Sign | |
---|
Paget Gorman | |
---|
Plains Sign Language | - Anishinaabe
- Apsáalooke
- Arikara
- Chaticks si Chaticks
- Cheyenne
- Coahuilteco
- Dane-zaa
- Diné
- Hinono'eino
- Hiraacá
- Icāk
- Karankawa
- Liksiyu
- Maagiadawa
- Meciciya ka pekiskwakehk
- Nakota
- Ni Mii Puu
- Niimíipuu
- Niitsítapi
- Nųmą́khų́·ki
- Nʉmʉnʉʉ
- Omaha
- Palus
- Piipaash
- Ppáⁿkka
- Schitsu'umsh
- Shiwinna
- Sioux
- Taos
- Tickanwa•tic
- Tháumgá
- Tsuu T'ina
- Umatilla
- Wazhazhe
- Wichita
- Wíyut'a / Wíblut'e
- Wyandot
| Mixed, American (ASL) | |
---|
Plateau | - A'aninin
- Kalispel
- Ktunaxa (ʾa·qanⱡiⱡⱡitnam)
- Nesilextcl'n
- Shuswap (Secwepemcékst)
- Sqeliz
|
---|
|
---|
Providencia– Cayman Sign | |
---|
Isolates | |
---|
Other groupings | |
---|
|
---|
By region[a] | Sign languages by region |
---|
Africa | |
---|
Asia | |
---|
Europe | |
---|
North and Central America | |
---|
Oceania | |
---|
South America | |
---|
International | |
---|
|
---|
ASL | |
---|
Extinct languages | |
---|
Linguistics | |
---|
Fingerspelling | |
---|
Writing | |
---|
Language contact | | Signed Oral Languages | |
---|
Others | |
---|
|
---|
Media | - Films (list)
- Television shows (list)
|
---|
Persons | |
---|
Organisations | |
---|
Miscellaneous | |
---|
^a Sign-language names reflect the region of origin. Natural sign languages are not related to the spoken language used in the same region. For example, French Sign Language originated in France, but is not related to French. Conversely, ASL and BSL both originated in English-speaking countries but are not related to each other; ASL however is related to French Sign Language. ^b Denotes the number (if known) of languages within the family. No further information is given on these languages. ^c Italics indicate extinct languages. |