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Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Europe > France > French Sign Language

French Sign Language

A language of France

ISO 639-3: fsl

Population	50,000 to 100,000 primary users in France (Van Cleve 1986) 1,000 users of Marseille Sign Language (1975 Sallagooty).
Region	Southern FSL is used in Marseille, Toulon, La Ciotat, and Salon de Provence. Also in Togo.
Alternate names	FSL, Langue des Signes Française, LSF
Dialects	Marseille Sign Language (Southern French Sign Language). Many sign languages have been influenced by this, but are not necessarily intelligible with it. Reportedly partially intelligible with sign languages from Austria, Czech Republic, and Italy, at least. Lexical similarity: 43% with American Sign Language [ase] in an 872-word list.
Classification	Deaf sign language
Language development	Dictionary.
Writing system	SignWriting.
Comments	First sign language in the western world to gain recognition as a language (1830). Originated in 1752. Sign languages were known in France in the 16th century, and probably earlier. Different from Signed French and Old French Sign Language.

Also spoken in:

Togo

Language name	French Sign Language
Alternate names	Langue des Signes Française, LSF
Comments	Taught in 1 school for the deaf in Togo.

Entries from the SIL Bibliography about this language:

Academic Publications

PARKS, Elizabeth, author; PARKS, Jason, editor. 2011. Americas Area Sign Language Survey Report Video Summaries in American Sign Language.

PARKS, Elizabeth, author; PARKS, Jason, editor. 2012. Americas Area Sign Language Survey Report Video Summaries in American Sign Language - French Guiana.

PARKS, Elizabeth, author; PARKS, Jason, editor. 2012. Americas Area Sign Language Survey Report Video Summaries in American Sign Language - Guadeloupe.

PARKS, Elizabeth, author; PARKS, Jason, editor. 2012. Americas Area Sign Language Survey Report Video Summaries in American Sign Language - Martinique.

PARKS, Elizabeth, author; PARKS, Jason, editor. 2012. Americas Area Sign Language Survey Report Video Summaries in American Sign Language - Saint Pierre and Miquelon.

PARKS, Elizabeth; WILLIAMS, Holly, authors. 2011. "Sociolinguistic Profiles of Twenty-four Deaf Communities in the Americas."