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Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Europe > Ireland > Irish Sign Language

Irish Sign Language

A language of Ireland

ISO 639-3: isg

Population	No estimate available.
Region	Dublin and elsewhere.
Dialects	In 1816 British signs were introduced. Irish signs developed in the girls’ school in 1846, in the boys’ school in 1857. Related to French Sign Language [fsl]. There are informal male and female sign systems. Females learn the male system during dating and marriage. The informal system is referred to as ‘Deaf Sign Language’. Irish Sign Language is a new unified system, a manual code for English. It has structural features such as directional verbs. It has influenced sign languages in South Africa and Australia.
Classification	Deaf sign language
Language use	Originated between 1846 and 1849. Several deaf schools with 750 to 800 students in each. There is a committee on national sign language and an organization for sign language teachers.
Language development	TV.

Entries from the SIL Bibliography about this language:

Academic Publications

PARKHURST, Dianne; PARKHURST, Stephen J., authors. 2003. Lexical comparisons of signed languages and the effects of iconicity.  

PARKS, Elizabeth; PARKS, Jason, authors. 2012. "A Survey Report of the Deaf People of Northern Ireland."  

PARKS, Elizabeth; PARKS, Jason, researchers. 2010. Irish Sign Language Variety Wordlist 01.