Yucatec Maya Sign Language
PrintA language of Mexico
100% monolingual in deaf population. 16 deaf people out of a village of 500 in the primary location (1999 H. Smith). All use sign (Sacks 1989). Hearing native signers’ numbers unknown, but some deaf have married and thus may have natively bilingual hearing children.
South central Yucatán, many in north Quintana Roo (1999 H. Smith); widespread in lowland Mayan region Chican. Formerly called ‘Nohya’ (a pseudonym thought necessary at first to protect the deaf population), Yucatánl; isolated villages, at least 2 in Oxkutzcab, 4 in Xyatil, and 1 in Carillo Puerto.
6a (Vigorous).
Dialects of Yucatán and Quintana Roo probably differ, but users have no contact with each other. No intelligibility with Mexican Sign Language [mfs] used elsewhere in Mexico (R. Johnson and A. Bickford), and presumably not with any other sign languages.
400–500 use it as L2 (1999 H. Smith). Reportedly well integrated into local society, so presumably used in all domains in which deaf people participate. All ages.
Congenital deafness.